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12th Annual Conference of the British HIV Association29 March–1 April 2006, Brighton, UK |
SEXUAL BEHAVIOUR AMONG HIV-POSITIVE BLACK CARIBBEANS IN SOUTH LONDON: THE LIVITY STUDY
HIV Med 2006; 7(Suppl. 1):7 (abstract no. O25)
Sarah Gerver1, Ijeoma Solarin1, Moji Anderson1, Gillian Elam2, Kevin Fenton2 and Philippa Easterbrook1
1 Kings College London, 2 Health Protection Agency, London, UK
BACKGROUND: The increasing rates of new HIV diagnoses among the black Caribbean community (BCC) in the UK are of major public health concern. However, there remains a paucity of research in this area.
METHODS: The LIVITY study is an in-depth epidemiological and behavioural study to determine the current status and potential future impact of HIV in the BCC.
OBJECTIVES: Eligible patients were HIV-positive black Caribbeans (BC) registered at ten clinics in south London. Participants completed an 11-part self-administered questionnaire, including sexual behaviour before and after HIV diagnosis, sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and sex in, or with people from, the Caribbean.
RESULTS: As of January 2006, 206 patients were enrolled. Median age was 38 years (IQR = 31–43), 36.9% were born in the UK, and 43.2% in Jamaica. 31.5% were female and 61.6% of men were homo/bisexual (HoM/BM). 51% reported HIV acquisition in the UK and 61.2% reported sex either in the Caribbean in the last 5 years (36.4%) or with recent arrivals from the Caribbean (24.8%). Median number of lifetime sexual partners was 6.5 (IQR = 4–10) for heterosexual women (HW); 40 (IQR = 10–100) for heterosexual men and 95 (IQR = 23–400) for HoM. Before HIV diagnosis, patients reported always using condoms with 25.6% of their partners versus 63.8% post-diagnosis. Patients reporting an STI after HIV diagnosis ranged from 12.7% in HW to 31% in HoM/BM.
CONCLUSIONS: The LIVITY study is the first comprehensive study in HIV among BCs in south London. These findings highlight ongoing risk behaviour in a proportion of patients, in particular BC HM/BM, and an important overlap with the epidemic in the Caribbean.
2006-03-29
O25
Copyright © 2006 - British HIV Association (BHIVA) Reproduction of this abstract (other than one copy for personal reference) must be cleared through the BHIVA Organising Secretariat 1 Mountview Court, 310 Friern Barnet Lane, London N20 0LD