Changes in sexual behaviour and the fall in incidence of HIV infection among homosexual men.

Abstract

likely to be infected than exclusively homosexual men, and our data suggest that two distinct populations may exist. In general the prevalence of HIV infection in homosexual men clearly exaggerates the risk of heterosexual spread from this source.The part played by the information campaign funded by the government in bringing about modifications in homosexual lifestyle seems to have been small. The most substantial changes had occurred before the campaign started, and the reduced trend towards safer practices in the most recent cohort may be attributable to the government's reluctance to target the homosexual community in its subsequent publicity. Although selection of partners and use of condoms may militate against transmission of HIV, at risk behaviour is clearly still taking place, and more effort is required to reduce it to the best attainable minimum.

Rapid Escape from Preserved Cross-Reactive Neutralizing Humoral Immunity without Loss of Viral Fitness in HIV-1-Infected Progressors and Long-Term Nonprogressors

“…All individuals were infected with HIV-1 subtype B. Five individuals were seropositive at entry into the cohort studies (seroprevalent cases with an imputed SC date on average 18 months before entry into the cohort [21,38]), whereas participant H18969 seroconverted during active follow-up (8). None of the individuals received combination antiretroviral therapy during the follow-up period for the present study.…”

High prevalence of neutralizing activity against multiple unrelated human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) subtype B variants in sera from HIV-1 subtype B-infected individuals: evidence for subtype-specific rather than strain-specific neutralizing activity

“…The study group consisted of LTNPs (defined as HIV-1-infected individuals who have ¢10 years of asymptomatic follow-up with stable CD4 + cell counts that were still .400 cells ml 21 in the ninth year of follow-up) and progressors [HIV-1-infected individuals who progressed to AIDS within 7 years after (imputed) seroconversion] who were all participating in the Amsterdam Cohort Studies on HIV and AIDS in homosexual men. All individuals were infected with HIV-1 subtype B and were either seropositive at entry to the cohort studies (seroprevalent cases with an imputed seroconversion date on average 18 months before entry to the cohort; van Griensven et al, 1989;Mascola et al, 2005) or seroconverted during active follow-up in the cohort studies. None of the participants received combination anti-retroviral therapy during the sampling period; samples were obtained on average at 28 months (range, 24-33 months).…”

Effects of treatment and prevalence-dependent recruitment on the dynamics of a fatal disease

“…Drastic changes in behavior have been observed in some homosexuallyactive populations as a result of the effects of the AIDS epidemic in these communities (see Baldwin and Baldwin 1988, Curran et al 1988, Fineberg 1988, Evans et al 1989, Martin 1987, Saltzman et al 1987, Shechter et al 1988, van Griensven et al 1989a,b, Wilkenstein 1988, McKusick et al 1985, Shilts 1987, and Wiktor et al 1990). The effects of these documented changes in behavior on HIV incidence, and the development of partially-effective drug treatments such as AZT, makes it even more difficult to forecast the timing and magnitude of this epidemic.…”