Resumen: En este estudio se analizan las actitudes y conductas sexuales de riesgo de los jóvenes españoles respecto a la infección por VIH. Se administró el Cuestionario de Prevención del SIDA a 196 jóvenes. Los resultados muestran lagunas importantes en la información (sólo el 59% sabe que el sexo oral sin preservativo es una práctica de riesgo); el uso sistemático del preservativo es moderado en el coito (indican haberlo utilizado en el 53% de las relaciones del mes anterior); y muy bajo en las relaciones orales (3%) y anales (13%), mantenidas por un elevado número de sujetos (el 73% realizan prácticas orales y el 16% anales). Hay una baja percepción de peligro lo que se manifi esta en que sólo el 14% preguntan a sus parejas si se han realizado las pruebas del VIH y tan sólo el 40% se las ha realizado alguna vez. Urgen intervenciones preventivas en este colectivo. Palabras clave: Infección por VIH, conductas de riesgo, jóvenes Attitudes and risk sexual behaviors for HIV infection/AIDS in young people in SpainAbstract: This study analyzes attitudes and sexual risk behaviors of young people in Spain with regard to HIV infection. The AIDS Prevention Questionnaire was administered to 196 subjects. The results evidence important gaps in information (only 59% knows that oral sex without a condom is a risk behaviour); the systematic use of a condom is moderate in intercourse (in 53% of sexual intercourse over the past month) and very low in oral (3%) and anal (13%) sex, as practiced by a large number of subjects (73% do oral sex and 16% anal sex). There is a low sense of danger as manifested by the fact that only 14% ask their sexual partners if they did any HIV testing and only 40% have passed a HIV test at any time. Preventive interventions are urgently needed in this population.

This study explores the relation between gender differences and sexuality among young Hispanic people. Eight hundred and forty young people from Spain and Mexico filled out a self-administered questionnaire about sexuality (sexual experience, sexual orientation and sexual relationships) and gender (self-identification). Men in both Spain and Mexico more commonly report the practice of masturbation and vaginal sex, and are more likely to be unfaithful than women. Women in both countries report more steady partners and longer length of relationships. There were greater gender differences for Mexican men and women than for Spanish men and women, in terms of sexual frequency, sexual orientation, infidelity, etc. Therefore, gender may play an important role in young people's sexuality, more so in Mexico than Spain.

BACKGROUND: Subclinical hypothyroidism (SCH) has been suggested to be associated with increased cardiovascular risk by different mechanisms. Several cardiovascular risk factors have been analysed, but yielded controversial results. OBJECTIVES: We aimed to analyse whether there are differences in several cardiovascular risk markers, such as lipids, inflammatory parameters: plasma viscosity (PV), fibrinogen and C reactive protein (CRP); homocysteine (Hcy) and red blood cell distribution width (RDW), when comparing SCH and controls. We also analysed which of these parameters predict SCH risk and constitute independent markers. METHODS: We determined PV in a Fresenius capillary plasma viscosimeter, Hcy by a chemiluminiscent enzyme immunoassay, and biochemical and haematological parameters by conventional laboratory methods in 58 SCH outpatients and 58 controls matched for age and gender. RESULTS: SCH patients did not show statistical differences for glucose, lipids or leucocytes (p > 0.05). However, patients showed a higher prevalence for use of hypolipidaemic drugs, body mass index (BMI), thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), PV, CRP, fibrinogen, Hcy and RDW (p < 0.05). RDW correlated with inflammation parameters: PV (r = 0.331, p < 0.05), fibrinogen (r = 0.424, p < 0.05), CRP (r = 0.433, p < 0.01) and leucocytes (r = 0.613, p < 0.01). None of the cardiovascular markers correlated with the TSH levels (p > 0.05)In the unadjusted logistic regression analyses, BMI ≥28 kg/m 2 , RDW ≥14%, Hcy ≥12 m/L, fibrinogen ≥400 mg/dL and MCV ≤88 fL increased SCH risk, but only RDW ≥14% and fibrinogen ≥400 mg/dL independently increased this risk in the adjusted logistic regression analyses (OR = 4.68, 95% CI 1.20-18.30 P = 0.026; OR = 3.48, 95% CI 1.08-11.23 P = 0.037). CONCLUSION: SCH patients show a higher cardiovascular risk, characterised by increased PV, fibrinogen, Hcy and RDW. However, only fibrinogen ≥400 mg/dL and RDW ≥14% are independent predictors of SCH.

Sexual behaviors in male sex workers in Spain: modulating factors. AbstractThe aim of this study is to analyze how cultural origin, years of schooling, sexual orientation and experience as a Male Sex Worker (MSW) may mediate their commercial sexual behaviors. One hundred Spanish agency-based MSWs were interviewed. Most of them were young men, Latin-American, homosexual and had a middle educational level. Our results show that cultural differences are not a predictor of unsafe sex with clients. This is more frequent for Spaniards and Latin-Americans. Moreover, Sexual orientation mediates the sexual role adopted by MSWs and some practices, for example with women which are more frequent for heterosexuals. On the other hand, educational level has shown differences in HIV fear or practices even though they were not statistically significant. Finally, the time spent in this kind of employment facilitates their self-perception as a MSW. Therefore, our results support a major heterogeneity among the MSW profile and their diverse practices of sex work which entails different risks.

In a recent paper by Irace et al. [2] published in Clinical Hemorheology and Microcirculation, the influence of lipids on plasma and blood viscosity in healthy subjects was analysed. The authors found that HDL-cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol moderately influenced plasma viscosity, but not blood viscosity, and that triglycerides did not seem to have a major effect on both viscosity parameters. In this study, the authors did not determine fibrinogen, which is of paramount importance in rheological blood behaviour. Moreover, it is usually reported that plasma lipids and fibrinogen levels are closely related [3-6], thus not having determined fibrinogen may influence the results reported by Irace et al.To further clarify this issue, in 1,002 healthy subjects (493 men and 509 women) attending the Preventive Medicine Service at our hospital, we investigated the effect of BMI, waist, glucose, plasma lipids and fibrinogen on rheological parameters such as plasma viscosity, blood viscosity at native and at 45% corrected haematocrit, and Erythrocyte Elongation Index at 60 Pa (EEI60), as previously performed [5].Several partial correlations were found between rheological and biochemical parameters (Table 1). Multivariate analyses showed that T-cholesterol, triglycerides and fibrinogen were independent predictors of plasma viscosity, and that waist, haematocrit and EEI60 independently predicted native blood viscosity, while fibrinogen and triglycerides were independent predictors of corrected blood viscosity (Table 2). Irace et al. [2] did not measure fibrinogen, whereas we show that it has a strong influence on plasma viscosity. Therefore, it should be determined and included in the multivariate regression analysis to explore the determinants of plasma viscosity.Regarding native blood viscosity, haematocrit exerts the greatest influence, followed by waist and EEI60. In a previous study [5], we evaluated waist and BMI influence on rheological factors, and we