Risk behaviour and HIV prevalence in international travellers. NLM AIDSLINE Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1994. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.

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Risk behaviour and HIV prevalence in international travellers.

AIDS. 1994 Feb;8(2):247-52. Unique Identifier : AIDSLINE MED/94318209
Hawkes S; Hart GJ; Johnson AM; Shergold C; Ross E; Herbert KM; Mortimer P; Parry JV; Mabey D; Academic Department of Genito-urinary Medicine, University; College London Medical School, UK.

Abstract: OBJECTIVE: To assess risk factors for infection and to determine HIV prevalence in a sample of international travellers. DESIGN: A cross-sectional survey of new patients attending a hospital outpatient clinic, and self-completion of an anonymous questionnaire on sexual behaviour prior to and during travel. Urine samples were tested for the presence of antibodies to HIV. SETTING: The Hospital for Tropical Diseases, London, UK. SUBJECTS: All new patients over a 6-month period. RESULTS: Of 782 people approached, 757 (97%) agreed to participate: 141 (18.6%) had had new sexual partners during their most recent trip abroad. Almost two-thirds of those having sex abroad did not use condoms on every occasion with a new partner, and 5.7% contracted a sexually transmitted disease (STD) during their most recent trip; 26% of men from World Health Organization Pattern I countries who had new sexual partners abroad paid for sex. Sixteen out of 731 (2.2%) participants were HIV-antibody-positive. HIV positivity was associated with being born in east, central or southern Africa, having symptoms of an STD since arriving in the United Kingdom and being treated for an STD since arrival. CONCLUSION: The rates of unsafe sex and payment for sex abroad reported by these international travellers indicate the potential for contracting and transmitting STD, including HIV, in both their foreign and domestic sexual partnerships. With the increasing HIV incidence in Asia (the most common destination for UK travellers after sub-Saharan Africa), the number of cases of HIV contracted abroad may rise in the future.
Keywords: Adult Africa South of the Sahara/ETHNOLOGY Asia/ETHNOLOGY Condoms/UTILIZATION Cross-Sectional Studies Developing Countries Female Hospitals, Special Human HIV Infections/TRANSMISSION *HIV Seroprevalence London/EPIDEMIOLOGY Male Prospective Studies Prostitution/STATISTICS & NUMER DATA Regression Analysis Risk Factors Sex Behavior/*STATISTICS & NUMER DATA Support, Non-U.S. Gov't *Travel/STATISTICS & NUMER DATA Tropical Medicine JOURNAL ARTICLE

KWDadultafricasouthofthesahara/ethnologyasia/ethnologycondoms/utilizationcross-sectionalstudiesdevelopingcountriesfemalehospitals,specialhumanhivinfections/transmissionKWDhivseroprevalencelondon/epidemiologymaleprospectivestudiesprostitution/statistics&numerdataregressionanalysisriskfactorssexbehavior/KWDstatistics&numerdatasupport,non-uKWDsKWDgov'tKWDtravel/statistics&numerdatatropicalmedicinejournalarticle
941130
M94B0768

Copyright © 1994 - National Library of Medicine. Reproduced under license with the National Library of Medicine, Bethesda, MD.

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