RISK BEHAVIORS OF PERSONS WITH HETEROSEXUALLY ACQUIRED HIV-INFECTION IN THE UNITED-STATES - RESULTS OF A MULTISTATE SURVEILLANCE PROJECT

To describe past risk behaviors among persons with heterosexually acqu ired human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, we interviewed 497 persons greater than or equal to 18 years of age with heterosexually a cquired HIV infection reported to 11 state and city health departments in the United States. Thirty-nine percent of persons reported using n oninjection drugs in the past 5 years; noninjection drug use was highe st among men whose sex partners injected drugs (53%). Sixteen percent of all persons used crack, and 17% were classified as potential alcoho lics; among men, 29% were classified as potential alcoholics. Of the 4 9% of men who reported paying a woman for sex, 86% did so multiple tim es. Most persons had multiple sex partners in the past 5 years; howeve r, 35% of the women had only one sex partner. Thirty-four percent of t he women and 50% of the men had been treated for a sexually transmitte d disease in the past 10 years. Seventy-four percent of the women and 68% of the men had never used condoms in the 5 years before they knew they were HIV positive. Among these people with heterosexually acquire d HIV, noninjection drug use was common, many men have paid someone fo r sex, and many women have not had multiple sex partners. These findin gs have important implications for the types of prevention programs th at can most successfully lessen the spread of HIV among heterosexuals.