SEXUALLY-TRANSMITTED DISEASE RATES BEFORE AND AFTER HIV TESTING

The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of having an HIV-posit ive or negative test result on sexual risk behaviour before and after the test. Longitudinal retrospective case-note survey identifying new episodes of sexually transmitted disease (STD) infections in 114 subje cts testing HIV positive and 114 matched negatives were examined at th e Genitourinary Medicine Department, St Mary's Hospital, Paddington, L ondon. Across the whole sample in the year after HIV testing the numbe r of cases of new STD infections was 40% of the number of cases in the year prior to HIV testing. There was no association between serostatu s and incidence of STD infections before and after HIV testing. Of tho se testing negative, 5.3% were identified as having a new infection in the year after the HIV test, while amongst those testing positive the re was a rate of new STDs of 2.6%. In conclusion, there was no evidenc e that having a negative test result increased the risk of acquisition of new STDs. Rates of new STD infections amongst seropositives in the year after HIV testing were low.