Blick G, Gretz S, Garbera A, Sideleau R; International Conference on AIDS (15th : 2004 : Bangkok, Thailand).
Int Conf AIDS. 2004 Jul 11-16; 15: abstract no. C12672.
Global Health Organization, Inc., Norwalk, United States
Issues: Media coverage of HIV/AIDS in the developed world has decreased since the advent of HAART. HIV/AIDS, syphilis, and other STD transmission rates have been rising since 2001 in MSM communities worldwide. Global Health Organization (GHO) founded the CT HIV/AIDS/STD Task Force in July 2003 to create a universal model for evaluating/understanding these trends and incidence of HIV/STDs and re-educating the MSM community regarding reducing HIV/STD transmission. Description: Phase 1: Formation of multidisciplinary task force. Phase 2: Designing the MSM community outreach model. Phase 3: Implementation of 18mo model: designing/disseminating a comprehensive epidemiological survey, organizing educational/health fairs, offering free prophylactic vaccinations, screening for HIV/STDs, and organizing community activities to unify MSM. Results: An epidemiological survey that can be accessed worldwide via the Internet (www.hivstd.org) was devised to understand and assess the MSM community's knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs regarding HIV/AIDS/STDs. 495 respondents were 68% White, 11% Black, 15% Hisp; 84% identified as gay; 61% were single, 27% in committed relationships; 36% had >/=1 STD in past, and 15% had 2 or more; 23% were known HIV+, 11% did not know status; 40% had not tested for HIV >2yrs or never; 85% had sex within past 6m, 24% with 6+ partners and 24% >20 times in past 12m, 54% anonymously, 18% in sex clubs/bath houses, 13% at sex parties, and 21% via Internet encounters. 54% did not always practice safer sex, 18% had unsafe sex 26-100% of the time, predominantly because "condoms were not available" or because "both were HIV+". The majority of respondents did not know modes of HIV/STD transmission. Conclusion: The majority of the CT MSM community is misinformed regarding and at high-risk for continued increasing HIV/AIDS/ STD transmission. GH's comprehensive epidemiological survey is an important tool available via the Internet for communities worldwide to help understand and reverse the trends responsible for rising HIV/STD infection rates.
Publication Types:
Keywords:
- Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome
- Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active
- Attitude
- Condoms
- Connecticut
- Culture
- HIV Infections
- HIV Seropositivity
- Homosexuality
- Homosexuality, Male
- Incidence
- Infection
- Knowledge
- Male
- Sexual Behavior
- Sexually Transmitted Diseases
- transmission
Other ID:
UI: 102277645
From Meeting Abstracts