OBJECTIVES: To compare the reference for the use of the male preservative by the people who came to a public hospital-based anonymous testing site for HIV, within 2 separate years. METHODS: We reviewed, retrospectively, the records of the pre-HIV-testing counselling in the years of 1993 and 1997, in order to see the trends in condom use in the population, before they knew the results of their HIV tests. We divided them by sexual options, as we weren't looking for risk categories. RESULTS: In 1993, we analyzed 1944 records. By then, 24.6% had homosexual or bisexual orientation and 75.4% referred to themselves as heterosexuals. In 1997, we reviewed 2249 records and found 15.64% and 84.36% of homo/bisexual and heterosexual orientation, respectively. TABULAR DATA, SEE ABSTRACT VOLUME. CONCLUSIONS: Among the homo/bisexual orientation, there was a decline in the group that never uses condoms and a rise in the always one, more expressive than in the heterosexual, as years go by. This reflects the greater concern and advertising directed to the male homosexual population in our environment, and reinforces the need to a more powerful intervention on the heterosexual group.

MEETING ABSTRACTS AIDS Serodiagnosis/*STATISTICS & NUMER DATA Bisexuality/STATISTICS & NUMER DATA Brazil Condoms/*UTILIZATION Homosexuality, Male/STATISTICS & NUMER DATA Human Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice Male Retrospective Studies

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