Introduction: The introduction of highly active antiretroviral therapy has relaunched the debate on risky sexual behavior among HIV-infected gay men. It was proposed to study the influences of lifestyle characteristics and health-related quality of life HRQL on unsafe sex with casual partners in a representative sample of HIV-infected gay men.
Methods: In , a national survey based on face-to-face interviews was conducted among a representative sample of patients selected in a random stratified sample of French hospital departments delivering HIV care. The patients selected for this analysis were gay men who reported having had sex with casual partners during the previous 12 months. Unsafe sex was defined as at least 1 episode of anal sexual intercourse without a condom with a casual partner during the previous 12 months.
Health-related quality of life was assessed using the SF Scale. Patients who declared that they had engaged in unsafe sex were compared with those who declared that they had not done so, using the chi test and logistic regressions. Conclusions: Risky sexual behavior with casual partners is frequent among HIV-infected gay men. In addition to other well-known factors, behavior of this kind was found in this study to be related to poor mental HRQL.
A more comprehensive approach to care designed to improve mental quality of life might therefore make for more effective secondary prevention. Abstract Introduction: The introduction of highly active antiretroviral therapy has relaunched the debate on risky sexual behavior among HIV-infected gay men.
