Decisions to get HIV tested and to accept antiretroviral therapies among gay/bisexual men: implications for secondary prevention efforts. NLM AIDSLINE Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1996. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.

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Decisions to get HIV tested and to accept antiretroviral therapies among gay/bisexual men: implications for secondary prevention efforts.

J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr Hum Retrovirol. 1996 Feb 1;11(2):151-60. Unique Identifier : AIDSLINE MED/96147315
Stall R; Hoff C; Coates TJ; Paul J; Phillips KA; Ekstrand M; Kegeles S; Catania J; Daigle D; Diaz R; Center for AIDS Prevention Studies, University of California, San; Francisco 94143, USA.

Abstract: The objective of this study was to report prevalence rates of adherence by HIV-seropositive individuals to medical recommendations for the treatment of HIV infection, a behavioral pattern referred to as AIDS secondary prevention. We report cross-sectional data (n = 2,593) from two household-based and two bar-based samples of gay/bisexual men, gathered in 1992 in Tucson, Arizona, and Portland, Oregon. The main outcome variables were prevalence of HIV antibody testing and adherence to recommended secondary prevention behaviors to prevent onset of AIDS symptoms. Approximately one-third of the gay/bisexual men in these samples do not know their current HIV status. Of the gay/bisexual men who do know that they are HIV-seropositive, approximately three-fourths adhere to each of the secondary prevention recommendations, as appropriate to their stage of disease progression. In a multivariate logistic model, three variables distinguished between HIV-seropositive men who did and did not adhere: perceived antiviral treatment norms (OR = 1.4, CI = 1.1-1.7), perceived efficacy of secondary prevention treatments (OR = 1.4, CI = 1.1-1.7), and quality of the relationship with one's health-care provider (OR = 2.5, CI = 1.6-4.0). These findings indicate that efforts to support AIDS secondary prevention behaviors can occur not only through health education to change the perceptions of at-risk communities about the options available to delay the onset of opportunistic infections among HIV-seropositive individuals but also by enhancing effective doctor/patient communication.
Keywords: Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome/ETIOLOGY/*PREVENTION & CONTROL Adolescence Adult Aged Aged, 80 and over Antiviral Agents/*THERAPEUTIC USE Arizona AIDS Serodiagnosis/*PSYCHOLOGY *Bisexuality/PSYCHOLOGY Comparative Study Cross-Sectional Studies *Homosexuality, Male/PSYCHOLOGY Human HIV Seropositivity/COMPLICATIONS/DRUG THERAPY/*PSYCHOLOGY Male Middle Age Oregon Patient Acceptance of Health Care/*PSYCHOLOGY Patient Compliance/PSYCHOLOGY Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S. JOURNAL ARTICLE MULTICENTER STUDYKWDacquiredimmunodeficiencysyndrome/etiology/KWDprevention&controladolescenceadultagedaged,80andoverantiviralagents/KWDtherapeuticusearizonaaidsserodiagnosis/KWDpsychologyKWDbisexuality/psychologycomparativestudycross-sectionalstudiesKWDhomosexuality,male/psychologyhumanhivseropositivity/complications/drugtherapy/KWDpsychologymalemiddleageoregonpatientacceptanceofhealthcare/KWDpsychologypatientcompliance/psychologysupport,uKWDsKWDgov't,pKWDhKWDsKWDjournalarticlemulticenterstudy
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Copyright © 1996 - National Library of Medicine. Reproduced under license with the National Library of Medicine, Bethesda, MD.

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