The objective of this study was to examine the knowledge and misinformation about human papillomavirus (HPV) and differences in sexual risk practices. Self-report surveys assessing the history of HPV/genital warts and sexual practices were completed by 1065 gay/bisexual men in New York City. Of the men reporting a history of HPV, genital warts, or both, the majority reported having warts but not HPV, demonstrating inaccurate knowledge. A significantly greater percentage of men who reported both HPV and warts (HPV+) reported having unsafe sex compared with men reporting neither (HPV-) and men reporting warts but not HPV (HPV+ uninformed). HPV+ and HPV+ uninformed men reported significantly more men non-primary sex partners in the past three months than HPV- men. Findings indicate that many gay/bisexual men, a population at risk for HPV, are misinformed about its various permutations. Men who are HPV+ report increased sexual risk practices and more sexual partners. Comprehensive gay men's health programmes must include HPV education.

The current research aimed to better understand the preventive health behaviors of lesbian and bisexually identified women. We recruited lesbian and bisexual women at a large-scale Gay, Lesbian, and Bisexual (GLB) event in New York City. An ethnically diverse sample of 102 lesbian and 23 bisexually identified women who had sex with women from the New York City metropolitan area completed a quantitative survey. Lesbians, compared to bisexual women, were significantly older and significantly more likely to report being in partnered relationships. Lesbians were also more likely than bisexual women to report having performed recent breast self-examinations. Because of previously inconsistent findings and methodologies, further research is needed to determine the specific effects of lesbian or bisexual identity on preventive health behaviors.

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Background. Liver fibrosis is accelerated in HIV and hepatitis C coinfection, mediated by profibrotic effects of angiotensin. The objective of this study was to determine if angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors (ACE-Is) attenuate liver fibrosis in coinfection. Methods. A retrospective review of 156 coinfected subjects was conducted to analyze the association between exposure to ACE-Is and liver fibrosis. Noninvasive indices of liver fibrosis (APRI, FIB-4, Forns indices) were compared between subjects who had taken ACE-Is and controls who had not taken them. Linear regression was used to evaluate ACE-I use as an independent predictor of fibrosis. Results. Subjects taking ACE-Is for three years were no different than controls on the APRI and the FIB-4 but had significantly higher scores than controls on the Forns index, indicating more advanced fibrosis. The use of ACE-Is for three years remained independently associated with an elevated Forns score when adjusted for age, race, and HIV viral load (P < 0.001). There were significant associations between all of the indices and significant fibrosis, as determined clinically and radiologically. Conclusions. There was not a protective association between angiotensin inhibition and liver fibrosis in coinfection. These noninvasive indices may be useful for ruling out significant fibrosis in coinfection.