AEGiS-11IAC: Italian national survey on sexual behaviour in young adults.

11th International AIDS Conference

Vancouver, British Columbia — July 7-12, 1996

Italian national survey on sexual behaviour in young adults.

Int Conf AIDS 1996 Jul 7-12; 11:489 (abstract no. Pub.D.1328)
Signorelli C, Zantedeschi E, Cattaruzza MS, Bossi A, Renzi C, Fara GM; Institute of Hygiene, Faculty of Medicine, University "La Sapienza", Rome, Italy. Fax: +39-6-4454845. E-mail: SignorelliC@axrma.uniroma1.it.

OBJECTIVE: To collect systematic information on knowledge, attitudes and sexual behaviour of Italian young heterosexual population in relation to the risk of HIV infection and its methods of prevention.

METHODS: A postal questionnaire was used to reach 1% of the Italian population aged 19-24 (total sample of 52,000). The sample was based on a random selection from electoral lists, supplied by local authorities. The selected population were urged twice to answer. This study was supported by the Italian Ministry of Health.

RESULTS: Among the 7920 questionnaires analyzed so far, the median age of first intercourse is 18 years for males and 19 for females. 2.5% refers to have had experienced heterosexual intercourses with IDUs while 16% of males stated they had had experienced sex with prostitutes. This proportion reaches 23% in Southern Italy. Less relevant the proportion of women who had had sexual experiences with bisexual males (1.1%) or possible bisexual males (1.6%). 25.8% of the sexually active young adults had had anal intercourse while 50% of males had had intercourses during the partner's menstrual cycle. 73.5% refers to a regular use of condoms in occasional sex while this proportion is lower (18.4%) with the usual partner; condom is rarely used during anal intercourses (11.8%) and during the partner's menstrual cycle (17%). 21.4% did at least one ELISA HIV test; among these 0.5% reports to be HIV+.

CONCLUSIONS: These data show a substantial proportion of the young population who is exposed to sexual activities which carry a high risk for heterosexual HIV transmission even if a delay of first sexual intercourse was observed. The use of condom in occasional sex is high in comparison to other European Countries. The estimate of HIV+ prevalence is compatible with the recent Ministerial estimate of 100,000 people HIV+ in all the Italian population.

Keywords: AEGIS, Condoms, Heterosexuality, HIV Infections, Prostitution, Bisexuality, Questionnaires, Italy, Adult, Human, Male, Female, ICA11

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