Sexual risk behaviour reduction associated with voluntary HIV counselling and testing in HIV infected patients in Thailand

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Infectious Disease Epidemiology
• Behavioral Science

Background:

• HIV-1 transmission remains a significant public health concern in Asia.
• Understanding sexual risk behaviors is crucial for effective HIV prevention strategies.
• Voluntary HIV counselling and testing (VCT) is a key intervention for behavior change.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the impact of VCT on sexual risk behaviors in HIV-1 positive individuals.
• To compare sexual activity, number of partners, and condom use between patients who underwent VCT and controls.
• To evaluate the role of VCT in reducing HIV transmission in Asia.

Main Methods:

• Anonymously self-reported sexual behaviors were collected from HIV-1 positive patients in Bangkok, Thailand (1993/94).
• Study group: patients from the Immune Clinic (IC) questioned after VCT.
• Control group: patients from the Anonymous Clinic (AC) questioned before VCT, age- and gender-matched.

Main Results:

• Over 80% of study patients reduced sexual activity and number of sexual partners post-HIV diagnosis.
• Study patients reported significantly higher rates of sexual abstinence (42% vs 14%) compared to controls.
• Condom use during the last three sexual encounters was higher in study patients (44% vs 14%) than in controls.

Conclusions:

• VCT is effective in promoting safer sexual practices among HIV-1 positive individuals.
• These findings support the value of VCT in reducing HIV transmission in Asian populations.
• Behavioral changes following VCT contribute to public health efforts against HIV/AIDS.