Results showed a main effect for having a recent STI on infectiou

Results showed a main effect for having a recent STI on infectiousness beliefs; individuals

who had recently been diagnosed with an STI held significantly greater beliefs that an undetectable viral load renders a person noninfectious. The main effect for viral load and the STI by viral load interactions were not significant. Analyses did not indicate any differences between groups in HIV treatment optimism (see Table 3). Results of the multiple logistic regression with all nonredundant and significant factors associated with a recent STI diagnosis are shown in Table 4. The simultaneous model indicated that fewer years of education, more HIV symptoms, use of cannabis and greater HIV infectiousness beliefs were associated with a recent

STI diagnosis over and above the other factors included in the model. Fourteen per cent of men and women living with HIV/AIDS were Fostamatinib cost diagnosed with a new STI in a 6-month period. These rates of incident STIs are similar to those found in other community samples of people living with HIV/AIDS [28]. Having been diagnosed with a recent STI was proportional for men and women and was not associated with income or receiving HIV treatments. Individuals who had been diagnosed with a co-occurring STI were only slightly younger, were less educated, and were using more alcohol and other drugs. Recently contracting an STI was associated with Rapamycin manufacturer poorer health, including having a lower CD4 cell count, experiencing more HIV-related symptoms, and being less likely to have an undetectable viral load. STI coinfection was also associated with being unaware of one’s viral load, a potential indicator of poor engagement with health care. Together, these findings do not support the notion that improved health status accounts for increases in sexual risk

behaviour in people living with HIV/AIDS. The association between believing that Obatoclax Mesylate (GX15-070) one is less infectious when one’s viral load is undetectable and being diagnosed with an STI was significant even after accounting for age, education, substance use, viral load and other health markers. These findings confirm previous research indicating that infectiousness beliefs play a central role in continued HIV transmission risks for some people living with HIV [1]. The current study is the first we are aware of to report an association between infectiousness beliefs and STI coinfection, a circumstance that increases infectiousness regardless of blood serum viral load. Having contracted an STI was not related to higher rates of unprotected sex. Indeed, greater rates of condom use with nonpositive partners were observed among participants who had contracted an STI.

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