EVALUATION OF AIDS-PREVENTION AMONG HOMOSEXUAL AND BISEXUAL MEN IN SWITZERLAND

Attitudinal and behavioural change among py men in Switzerland was mea sured between 1987 and 1990 to evaluate the effectiveness of AIDS prev ention activities. The methodology used included a self-administered q uestionnaire published in Swiss gay magazines and distributed by gay o rganizations (N = 795 in 1987, N = 720 in 1990) and in-depth interview s with men recruited through advertisements and through the questionna ire (N = 42 in 1987, N = 24 in 1990). The two independent sampling pro cedures yielded similar samples with regard to socio-demographic chara cteristics, allowing comparisons to be made between the 1987 and 1990 data. Personal confrontation with AIDS (knowing someone who is HIV-pos itive, or who is ill or dead from AIDS) increased significantly during the period but more adequate ways of coping developed. Behavioural ch ange towards safer sex began well before the first study. The majority of responding homosexuals have adapted their sexual behaviour to the new situation created by AIDS and generally maintain a protective beha viour. However, ''exceptions'' (condom rupture or episodes of non-prot ection) are not infrequent and should deserve more attention. Three in dicators of sexual behaviour (number of sexual partners, anal sex and use of condom and oral sex with ejaculation), reported for the last 3 months before each study, exhibit few changes between 1987 and 1990: n umber of partners remained stable, unprotected oral sex decreased. Ana l sex slightly increased, the use of condoms remaining stable. Sixty-s even percent of the sample knew their serostatus in 1990 (57% in 1987) , and 13% of these stated that they were HIV+ (14% in 1987).