Brief encounters
HIV: positive prevention needed
In Thailand approximately 40% of new HIV infections are thought to occur in “low-risk” partners of people with HIV. This prompted researchers to look in more detail at transmission risk behaviour in 894 HIV patients. One third reported unprotected sex with someone who was negative or of unknown status, and this was more common in casual, commercial and male same sex partnerships, but less likely in people who were on antiretroviral therapy. Clearly, far more preventive interventions are needed to promote disclosure and safer sex in people with known infection. See p 36
The importance of place
STI are not evenly distributed in the population, but some are more uneven than others. Schleihauf and colleagues analysed the geographical distribution of chlamydia, gonorrhoea and syphilis cases in New South Wales, Australia, over a decade. They found that gonorrhoea was very highly clustered, with 44% of cases concentrated in areas occupied by less than 4% of the population. Syphilis was less and chlamydia least concentrated. They suggest that the …
