HIV testing and sexual behavior among intravenous drug users in Bangkok, Thailand

The relationships between previous HIV counseling and testing and sexual behavior were examined among injecting drug users in Bangkok. Six hundred one i.v. drug users (IVDUs) were recruited from drug treatment programs in November of 1989. A standardized interview on AIDS risk behavior was administered and a blood sample was collected for HIV testing of the 601 people. Fifty-six percent reported that they had not been previously tested (NPT), 15% had previously tested positive (PT +), and 29% had previously tested negative (PT –). Previous testing was associated with higher levels of safer sex and contraception with primary partners: 56% of the PT+ people with regular partners reported using condoms at least some of the time with that partner, compared with 28% of the PT- and only 20% of the NPT people. Similarly, 89% of the PT+ and 72% of the PT–people, compared with 59% of the NPT people, reported practicing some form of contraception with regular partners. The results strongly support the utility of HIV counseling and testing as a method of reducing heterosexual and perinatal HIV transmission among IVDUs in Bangkok.