PREDICTORS OF UNPROTECTED SEXUAL CONTACTS IN HIV-INFECTED PERSONS IN SWITZERLAND

Predictors of sexual risk behavior with regular and casual partners am ong HIV-infected heterosexual and gay persons were addressed. Sociodem ographic data as well as self-and interviewer-reported data on sexual behavior were obtained from 117 asymptomatic HIV-infected persons enro lled in the Zurich part of the Swiss HIV Cohort Study (SHCS). Particip ants who reported sexual intercourse at least once (vaginal and/or ana l) without condom use in the 6 months prior to interview were consider ed to have risk behavior. Sexual risk behavior was analyzed separately in contacts with regular and casual partners. In the 6-month preinter view period 92% (108 of 117) of the HIV-infected study population repo rted sexual contacts, and 30/117 (26%) had at least one unprotected va ginal and/or anal contact. Among 93 persons using condoms, 25% of the heterosexual and 10% of the homosexual participants reported breakage of the condom. The main predictor for unprotected sexual behavior with regular partners was an elevated number of contacts. Predictors for s exual risk behavior with casual partners were the combination of alcoh ol and sexual encounters and the change of sexual behavior since the e pidemic of AIDS. These findings did not differ between persons with he tero-and homosexual behavior. Considering that these contacts may have passed the virus on to the seronegative population, that the probabil ity of unsafe sex increased with the growing number of contacts, and t hat the number of condom breakages was remarkable, it is imperative th at this group be educated and motivated to take the active role in ins isting on safer sex practices in each encounter.