       Document 0217
 DOCN  M9620217
 TI    Misunderstanding of 'safer sex' by heterosexually active adults.
 DT    9602
 AU    Wenger NS; Kusseling FS; Shapiro MF; Division of General Internal
       Medicine, Health Services Research,; University of California, Los
       Angeles 90024-1736, USA.
 SO    Public Health Rep. 1995 Sep-Oct;110(5):618-21. Unique Identifier :
       AIDSLINE MED/96073586
 AB    To assess the understanding of safer sex among heterosexual adults,
       people enrolled in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) education trials
       at a sexually transmitted disease (STD) clinic and a university student
       health service were surveyed concerning sexual behavior with their
       latest reported partner. Of 646 sexually active persons enrolled in the
       trials, 233 (36 percent) reported having had safer sex with their latest
       partner; 124 of them (53 percent) also reported having vaginal or anal
       intercourse without a condom during that sexual encounter. Among the 124
       who reported safer sex despite having intercourse without a condom, only
       23 percent reported asking partners about their HIV status, 46 percent
       had asked about intravenous drug use, and 47 percent had asked about the
       number of prior sexual partners. For 34 percent of those surveyed, the
       length of the sexual relationship with their latest partner was 1 month
       or less, and 18 percent estimated that this partner had had 11 or more
       prior sexual partners. STD clinic participants characterized intercourse
       without a condom as safer sex more often than student health service
       enrollees (76 percent versus 39 percent, P < 0.001). The concept of
       safer sex is often misunderstood by persons engaging in behavior at risk
       for HIV transmission, and the level of misunderstanding differs among
       samples. Interventions to reduce transmission of HIV must confront
       misconceptions about the risk of sexual intercourse without condoms and
       include specific instructions understood by the targeted group.
 DE    Adult  Ambulatory Care Facilities  Comparative Study
       Condoms/UTILIZATION  Female  *Health Education  Human  HIV
       Infections/*PREVENTION & CONTROL/TRANSMISSION  *Knowledge, Attitudes,
       Practice  Male  Questionnaires  Risk Factors  *Sex Behavior  Sexual
       Partners  Student Health Services  Substance Abuse,
       Intravenous/COMPLICATIONS  Support, Non-U.S. Gov't  JOURNAL ARTICLE

       SOURCE: National Library of Medicine.  NOTICE: This material may be
       protected by Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.Code).

