Effect of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) antibody knowledge on high-risk sexual behavior with steady and nonsteady sexual partners among homosexual men.

For the study of the impact of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) antibody testing on high-risk sexual behavior with nonsteady and steady sexual partners, 307 homosexual men (118 seronegative, 75 seropositive, and 114 untested) were interviewed at three consecutive six-month intervals between July 1985 and December 1986. From the results, it appears that among seropositives the percentage who performed anogenital insertive intercourse with nonsteady partners remained constant (73, 64, and 61% during the first, second, and third intervals, respectively (nonsignificant]. Among seronegatives and those who were untested, the percentages who practiced anogenital receptive intercourse with nonsteady partners decreased from 44 to 29% and from 54 to 20%, respectively (p less than 0.05). The percentage who performed anogenital insertive intercourse and anogenital receptive intercourse with their steady partner remained constant in all groups: seropositives, +/- 70%; seronegatives, +/- 60%; and untested, +/- 55%. Seropositives were more likely to use condoms during anogenital insertive intercourse with their nonsteady and steady sexual partners than were seronegatives and untested persons during anogenital receptive intercourse with these partners (p less than 0.05). In the majority of cases, condoms were not used antibody testing in the three groups studied. The generalizability of these results, however, is limited.