AEGiS-05IAC: Men meet women: differential risk-reducing needs and tactics in encounters between people drawn from the general population pool.

5th International AIDS Conference

Montreal, Quebec, Canada — Jun 4-9, 1989

Men meet women: differential risk-reducing needs and tactics in encounters between people drawn from the general population pool.

Int Conf AIDS 1989 Jun 4-9; 5:162 (abstract no. A.507)
Shtarkshall RA, Awerbuch T; The Hebrew University & Hadassah Faculty of Medicine, Jerusalem, Israel

Utilizing equations which were developed for probabilities of HIV infection through sexual intercourse, we demonstrate the asymmetry of the probabilistic risks for a man and and a woman engaging in sexual intercourse in a Western society. Two factors determine this asymmetry: 1. The prevalence of AIDS and HIV seropositivity varies widely between men and women of specific age groups; and, 2. the infectivity of insertive vaginal intercourse is also asymmetric between the sexes, women being at higher risk. The equations for the two extreme possibilities of a monogamous relationship with many events of intercourse and for multiple partners with one contact with every partner are respectively: FORMULA, SEE ABSTRACT VOLUME. P-probability of being infected in the situation described; pr - probability that the partner is infected (the prevalence of HIV in the group from which the partner is selected); i - the probability that one contact with an infected partner will result in infection; N - the number of sexual encounters. Solving these nonlinear functions for the ratios of P woman/P man give the relative risks of men and women to be infected in both types of encounters. In a situation where both the prevalence for men is higher and their i is lower for vaginal intercourse the P women is much higher. The implications of these findings are profound when formulating the objectives and concepts of educational interventions among sexually active heterosexuals. While condoms are used by men, it is mainly in the interest of women that men should use condoms. Thus it may be essential to introduce altruistic "cooperative" motives into educational interventions to supplement the "egoistic" one of "safe sex." The introduction of "responsible sex" and its implications are considered.

890604
A507