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Safe Sex (safe + sex)
Selected AbstractsInterventions with injection drug users in UkraineADDICTION, Issue 11 2009Robert E. Booth ABSTRACT Aims To assess the effectiveness of a brief human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) testing and counseling intervention compared to a more time-consuming and expensive street-based intervention with injection drug users (IDUs). Design Cross-over experimental design in which 900 IDUs were recruited, followed by a ,wash-out' period with no recruitment, a reversal of intervention assignment areas and an additional recruitment of 900 IDUs with baseline and 6-month follow-up assessments. Setting Kiev, Odessa and Makeevka/Donesk Ukraine. Participants A total of 1798 IDUs. Measurements HIV testing and audio computer-assisted self-interview (ACASI) data on socio-demographics, drug use and injection and sex-related risk behaviors. Findings Participants in both conditions reduced their injection and sex risks significantly; however, there was little difference in outcomes between conditions. IDUs who knew they were HIV-infected at baseline were significantly more likely to practice safe sex than those unaware or HIV-negative; those who first learned that they were infected at baseline changed their safe sex practices significantly more than those who already knew that they were infected at baseline and those who were HIV-negative. Younger IDUs and those injecting for a shorter period of time reported higher injection and sex risk behaviors following interventions. Conclusions Awareness of HIV infection by street-recruited drug injectors is associated with reduced sex risks. Additional interventions are required for younger IDUs and those injecting for shorter periods of time. [source] A Survey of the Emergency Department Population and Their Interest in Preventive Health EducationACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE, Issue 2 2003Ingrid Llovera MD Abstract Objective: To determine which preventive health information the emergency department (ED) population (patients and visitors) would be most interested in having available to them while they spend time in the waiting area. Methods: This was a prospective survey of consecutive adults seated in the ED waiting area during a representative week on predetermined shifts. The survey asked them to indicate whether they would be interested in obtaining information about the following preventive health issues: breast cancer, prostate cancer, smoking, obesity, stress reduction, exercise programs, alcohol/drugs, HIV, blood pressure screening, immunizations, referrals to primary care physicians, Pap smears, car safety, smoke detectors, domestic and youth violence, depression, gun safety, and safe sex. Results: Of the 1,284 subjects approached, 878 (68%) made up the study group (56% female, mean age = 44 years, 60% white); 406 refused. The information people were most interested in obtaining was the following: 52% of the respondents were interested in referral to stress reduction programs, 51% in information about exercise programs, 42% in blood pressure screening, 40% in information about breast cancer screening, 33% in depression information/screening, 33% in prostate cancer screening, 26% in immunization against pneumococcus, 24% in immunization against tetanus, 26% in smoking cessation programs, and 26% in safe driving information. Women were most interested in breast cancer screening (64%); and men, in prostate cancer screening (55%). Conclusions: Of the 878 subjects in the study group, 96% were interested in obtaining information about one or more preventive health issues. An opportunity exists to respond to this interest by providing material for public health education in the waiting area of EDs. [source] A preliminary investigation of the effects of restrictions on Medicaid funding for abortions on female STD ratesHEALTH ECONOMICS, Issue 6 2003Bisakha Sen Abstract There is evidence in the economics literature that restrictions on Medicaid funding for abortion reduces the demand for abortion. The unresolved question is whether such restrictions also increase safe sex (that is, pregnancy avoidance) behavior among women. This study explores that issue using state-level gonorrhea rates among women for 1975,1995. The rationale is that sexual behavior that leads to greater risk of accidental pregnancies is likely to be highly correlated with sexual behavior leading to greater risk of STD infection. Since gonorrhea has an incubation period of about a week, and is transmitted almost exclusively through sexual intercourse, a change in sexual behavior should soon be followed by a change in gonorrhea rates. The study used a partial adjustment model with lagged-dependent variables estimated using Arellano-Bond's GMM method. Results fail to find any statistically significant evidence that Medicaid funding restrictions are effective in reducing gonorrhea rates. This finding is robust to a variety of alternate specifications and tests. This suggests that restrictions on Medicaid funding for abortion fail to promote safe sex behavior among women. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Amoebiasis among patrons visiting gay saunas in TaiwanHIV MEDICINE, Issue 9 2008C-C Hung Aims This study aimed to assess the prevalence of amoebiasis among patrons visiting gay saunas in Taiwan. Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted using questionnaire interview and indirect hemagglutination assays and specific Entamoeba histolytica antigen assays of blood and rectal swab specimens, respectively, among patrons visiting 10 gay saunas between September 2006 and December 2006. Results During the three-month study period, 208 blood and 120 rectal swab specimens were tested for E. histolytica infection. Amoebiasis was detected among 3.8% and 3.3% of the patrons by serologies and antigen assays, respectively. During the latest sexual encounter, more than 70% of the patrons had oral-anogenital sex, and only 20% used condoms during oral-anogenital contact. Conclusion Our findings suggest that there is a potential risk of E. histolytica transmission among the patrons visiting gay saunas who do not practise safe sex consistently in Taiwan. [source] Acute hepatitis C in HIV-infected men who have sex with menHIV MEDICINE, Issue 4 2004J Ghosn Background Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is usually transmitted via the parenteral route, but there are widely discrepant findings on its possible sexual transmission. Thus there are no recommendations concerning protected sex for couples in which only one partner is HCV-infected. Whether HIV or other sexually transmitted diseases could favour HCV transmission remains unclear, but recent data suggesting an increasing incidence of acute HCV in HIV-infected men underline the major public health implications of this issue. Case reports Between June 2002 and July 2003, five HIV-infected homosexually active men presented with primary (n=4) and secondary (n=1) syphilis and concomitant abnormal liver function tests revealing acute asymptomatic HCV seroconversion. Other causes of acute viral hepatitis were inquired into and excluded. Highly at-risk sexual behaviour, including unprotected anal intercourse and unsafe oral sex, with concomitant syphilis, was found to be the only identifiable important risk factor for transmission of HCV. Conclusions Sexual transmission may be fuelling a significant increase in HCV seroconversions among HIV-infected men who have highly risky sexual behaviours. Given the recent data suggesting the spread of sexually transmitted infections among HIV-infected gay men, specific recommendations concerning safe sex are urgently needed. [source] Knowledge, attitudes and behaviours in relation to safe sex, sexually transmitted infections (STI) and HIV/AIDS among remote living north Queensland youthAUSTRALIAN AND NEW ZEALAND JOURNAL OF PUBLIC HEALTH, Issue 2010Patricia Fagan Abstract Objective: To assess the knowledge, attitudes and behaviours of remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander youth living in far north Queensland in relation to sexually transmitted infections, HIV/AIDS and safe sex. Methods: Community consultation followed by local recruitment of a sample of young people who, in a facilitated same gender focus group setting, completed a questionnaire followed by open discussion of the issues in a range of remote locations during 2007. Results: The remote living Indigenous youth demonstrated lower levels of knowledge in relation to STI and HIV and higher levels of partner change than was demonstrated in the 2002 national secondary school survey. Despite the high rates of bacterial STI in the region, there was an extremely low level of awareness of personal risk in relation to STI and HIV. Conclusion: There is an urgent need to strengthen school-based sex education and to develop innovative approaches to sexual health promotion in addition to improving clinical sexual health service provision. [source] | ||||||||||