les responding to
advertisements about the study. These participants were then randomly assigned
to receive either counseling/testing services or "standard health information"
consisting of videotaped information about sexually transmitted diseases and a
supply of condoms.
All the participants were invited to return to the centers six and 12 months
later to take part in counseling and testing.
"There was concern about attracting a low-risk group of the 'worried well,' but
we were very successful at reaching a high-risk group," Coates said. "Thirty
percent of the women and 15 percent of the men seen in these clinics were
HIV-positive.2
"We saw up to a 50 percent reduction in risk behavior in six months, and there
was a clear difference in individual behaviors after counseling," he said. "For
the couples, the behavior changes depended on whether the partners were the same
serostatus or not."
Six months after the counseling intervention, study findings showed:
- Overall rates of unprotected sex dropped for all participants, regardless of
whether the partner was a primary partner, a non-primary partner, or a
commercial sex provider.
- The most dramatic reductions were seen with men having unprotected sex with a
non-primary partner. The overall rate decreased from 31 percent before
counseling to 19 percent six months after counseling. The health-information
only group began at 30 percent and dropped to 26 percent six months later.
- Women reported more unprotected sexual encounters with a primary partner and
fewer with a non-primary partner or a commercial partner than the men, both
before and after intervention.
THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION IS EMBARGOED UNTIL 11:00 PM (PACIFIC STANDARD TIME),
ON TUESDAY, JUNE 30, 1998 OR 8:00 AM (GENEVA TIME), ON WEDNESDAY, JULY 1, 1998:
Study findings about the couples who took part in six months of counseling
include:
- Of the 429 married couples completing testing and counseling, 78.8
'"/>
Contact: Mitzi Baker
mabaker@itsa.ucsf.edu
(415) 476-2557
University of California - San Francisco 29-Jun-1998Page: 1 2 3 Related medicine news :1.
Voluntary health organizations, publishers announce major information initiative2.
Counseling encourages exercise; environment changes may help3.
Prescription Counseling Necessary For Hospital Patients4.
American Heart Association Comments On Report: "Missed Opportunities In
Preventive Counseling For Cardiovascular Disease - United States 1995"5.
St. Jude scientist to lead NCI Pediatric Preclinical Testing Program6.
Iressa news backgrounder: Testing of smart drug expands at M. D. Anderson Cancer Center7.
Testing drugs ability to reverse stroke after standard three-hour window has closed8.
Testing may one day pinpoint which early-stage cancer patients are at risk for relapse9.
Testing earlier for gestational diabetes a smarter way to screen pregnant women10.
Testing for alcohol problems in the workplace11.
UNC Researchers Testing First In New Class Of AIDS Drugs