Abstract
We surveyed randomly selected patients in the largest HIV clinic in Seattle, WA in 2005 and 2006. A total of 397 patients completed usable surveys. Twenty-seven percent of men who have sex with men (MSM) and 22% of women or heterosexual men reported having non-concordant unprotected anal or vaginal intercourse in the preceding year. Compared to 2005, more MSM in 2006 reported meeting a sex partner via the Internet (15% vs. 33%), and fewer met partners in bathhouses (23% vs. 13%). Twenty-four percent of MSM reported deciding not to have sex with a potential partner because he was HIV negative, and 31% of MSM reported that another man had decided not to have sex with them because they were HIV positive. Among all participants, 22% had told a sex partner they were HIV negative since their HIV diagnosis. These findings demonstrate the persistence of high-risk behavior among persons with HIV, a rapid increase in the use of the Internet among MSM to find sex partners, and provide direct evidence for serosorting among MSM.
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The authors thank Carol Glen for assistance recruiting study participants. Dr. Golden was supported by NIH K23 AI01846.
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Golden, M.R., Wood, R.W., Buskin, S.E. et al. Ongoing Risk Behavior Among Persons With HIV in Medical Care. AIDS Behav 11, 726–735 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10461-007-9244-5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10461-007-9244-5