Perceptions of human immunodeficiency virus and sexually transmitted disease risk among low-income adults: A pilot study

Sexual risk-taking research and subsequent intervention programs have focus ed almost exclusively on adolescents and men who have sex with men. In comp arison. less research has been conducted into adult heterosexual risk-rakin g behavior. The purposes of this pilot study were to test a survey instrume nt, assess how low-income adults perceive their risk of human immunodeficie ncy virus (HIV) and sexually transmitted disease (STD) infection, and deter mine the degree to which condom use is a function of age. The Health Belief Model was used to guide the development of the survey instrument. In the H ealth Belief Model, age is a mediating factor that influences a person's li kelihood re take action to change his or her lifestyle. Respondents perceiv ed that their vulnerability to infection declined because of increased age and decreased frequency of coitus. Condom use was found to significantly de cline as the age of the respondents increased. Although this is only a pilo t study, the findings highlight the need for HIV and STD education for all age groups and genders. Copyright (C) 2001 W.B. Saunders Company.