HIV risk sensitization following a detailed sexual behavior interview: a preliminary investigation. J Behav Med 2000 Aug;23(4):393-8
Date
09/14/2000Pubmed ID
10984867DOI
10.1023/a:1005505018784Scopus ID
2-s2.0-0033861929 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site) 43 CitationsAbstract
We administered a detailed structured interview of sexual HIV risk behavior to 110 college students (46% women; mean age = 19.7 years; range = 18-41 years) and assessed their perceived risk of HIV infection before and after the interview. The sexual behavior assessment consisted of 29 single-item frequency questions, followed by a 90-day Timeline Followback interview. Results indicate that sexually active participants experienced HIV risk sensitization during the interview, whereas participants who were not sexually active did not. Among the sexually active participants, those who had multiple sexual partners were more sensitized to their risk than participants with only one partner, and those who engaged in vaginal sex evidenced increased risk perception, but participants who had only oral sex did not. These findings indicate that detailed sexual behavior assessments influence participants' motivation to reduce their risk behavior. This may be helpful in increasing the effectiveness of brief risk behavior interventions such as HIV counseling and testing. These findings may also have implications for the generalizability of HIV prevention interventions to contexts that do not include such detailed assessments.
Author List
Weinhardt LS, Carey KB, Carey MPAuthor
Lance S. Weinhardt MS,PhD Associate Dean for Research and Professor of Community and Behavioral Health Promotion in the Joseph. J. Zilber School of Public Health department at University of Wisconsin - MilwaukeeMESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold
AdolescentAdult
Female
HIV Infections
Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice
Humans
Interview, Psychological
Male
Risk-Taking
Sexual Behavior
Students
