6th International AIDS Conference San Francisco, California, USA — June 20-23, 1990

Int Conf AIDS 1990 Jun 20-23; 6:335 (abstract no. Th.D.836)
Higgins DL, Galavotti C, Johnson R, O'Reilly KR, Rugg DL; Centers for Disease Control, Atlanta, Georgia, USA

OBJECTIVE: To review the effects of HIV antibody counseling and testing (C&T) on risk behaviors in homosexual men, intravenous drug users (IVDUs), and high-risk heterosexuals.

METHODS: We reviewed published and unpublished data from 45 studies that compared risk behavior prior to and following notification of serostatus.

RESULTS: Studies varied according to study design, measures used, risk group and type of risk behavior. Of 26 studies involving homosexual men, the majority reported a decrease in a variety of measures of risk behaviors (e.g., decrease in sex partners, decrease in frequency of anal intercourse, increase in condom use) for both seropositive and seronegative men, with a greater percentage reduction by seropositive men. All nine studies of IVDUs showed a decrease in risky injection practices; however, only three studies showed a decline in risky sexual behavior. The ten studies of high-risk heterosexuals showed mixed results.

CONCLUSION: HIV antibody C&T has had an effect usually to decrease subsequent risk behaviors, though this effect is not uniform. In part, the inconsistency results from different study designs. The effect is greater among homosexual men than other persons at risk. Among IVDUs, C&T appears to be more effective in reducing drug-related risks than sex-related risks. Further study is required to determine the effect of C&T on high-risk heterosexuals. Prevention programs which utilize HIV antibody C&T should be aware of the differential effects, and in some cases the limits of this prevention method when used as the sole intervention.

900620
ThD836

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