AIDS TREATMENT ADVANCES AND BEHAVIORAL PREVENTION SETBACKS - PRELIMINARY ASSESSMENT OF REDUCED PERCEIVED THREAT OF HIV-AIDS

Recent advances in AIDS treatment have brought renewed optimism for pr olonging the lives of those infected with HIV. This article examined b eliefs about how new treatments may reduce HIV transmission risk among 298 HIV-negative gay and bisexual men attending a gay pride festival. Results from an anonymous survey showed that men who practiced unprot ected anal intercourse as the receptive partner (UAR intercourse) were younger, less well educated, and more likely to believe that it is sa fe to have UAR intercourse with an HIV-positive man who has an undetec table viral load and that new treatments for HIV relieve their worries about unsafe sex. As HIV treatments continue to advance, new challeng es for HIV prevention will likely emerge.