MEXICO CITY – Findings presented at the XVII International AIDS Conference last week, by a researcher from The Miriam Hospital, suggest that programs to prevent the spread of HIV between men should focus on younger, more recently diagnosed men as well as those who engage in binge drinking or the use of drugs such as methamphetamine.
About half of new HIV infections in the United States are linked to risky sex between men. The local study – led by Dr. Kenneth H. Mayer, an infectious disease physician at The Miriam Hospital and a professor of medicine at The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University – has focused on how to prevent those infections.
“Although the number of HIV diagnoses among men in this group decreased the last two decades, recent data shows these rates are on the rise again, making it critical that we continue to understand this group in order to guide prevention and education efforts,” Mayer said in a news release.
The study included about 200 HIV-infected men who have sex who completed a computerized psychosocial assessment. Just about half of the men had a detectable amount of virus in their blood, known as an HIV viral load, and 57 percent were on highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART), a combination of antiretroviral drugs aimed at treating HIV. Three-quarters of the men were Caucasian and more than half were college-educated.
About half the participants were found to meet the criteria for being high-risk HIV transmitters, based on their engaging in unprotected sex with men who were either HIV-positive or of unknown status.
Nearly a quarter of men surveyed said they consumed five or more alcoholic drinks daily at least once in the previous three months and 65 percent reported other substance use, including 30 percent who admitted to using methamphetamine.
“When one drinks or uses other substances, inhibitions are lowered, making people more likely to engage in risky behavior, like unprotected sex,” Mayer said. “This is particularly true for young people, who often take risks without thinking about the consequences. Some patients who are newly diagnosed might be in denial, which could lead to poor decisions when it comes to sex. Unfortunately, such behaviors put the partners of these men at great risk for contracting HIV and unknowingly transmitting it to others.”
The Miriam Hospital – a founding member of the nonprofit Lifespan health care system – is an affiliate of The Warren Alpert Medical School at Brown University. Established in 1926 by the Miriam Hospital Women’s Association, it houses the state’s only Women’s Cardiac Center, JCAHO-certified Primary Stroke Center and robotic surgery program. To learn more, visit www.MiriamHospital.org.
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To learn more about the XVII International AIDS Conference, held Aug. 3-8 in Mexico City, visit www.aids2008.org.
