A.I.D.S. brings ‘changes in lifestyle’
NZPA-AP San Francisco
The level of sexual activity among homosexual men in San Francisco is declining as the A.I.D.S. death toll rises, according to researchers at the University of California-San Francisco.
A study by the A.I.D.S. behavioral research project found substantial reductions since 1982 in the average number of sexual partners and in the sex acts believed to transmit acquired immune deficiency syndrome. “Gay men have made major changes in their lifestyles in the last 2% years,” said a project director, Mr Leon McKusick. “These changes may slow the
spread of A.I.D.S. in San Francisco.”
The study covered 655 homosexual men regarding their sexual practices from 1982 to 1984.
The study found that the monthly average of sexual partners dropped from 5.9 in November, 1982, to 2.5 in November, 1984. It also found that the percentage of those engaging in “unsafe sex” with a new partner fell from 47 per cent in November, 1983, to 27 per cent in November, 1984. “Unsafe sex” includes acts where significant amounts of bodily fluids are exchanged. The decline in males’ homosexual activity was at-
tributed to the rising number of A.I.D.S. cases, the sight of people dying of the disease, and an increased awareness of A.I.D.S. health guidelines.
A.1.D.5., which destroys the body’s ability to fight disease, has killed 505 people in San Francisco since 1981 and more than 4300 in the United States since 1979, according to the United States Government. The disease is most prevalent among homosexual and bisexual men, intravenous drug users, and haemophiliacs. It apparently is spread by sexual contact, contaminated needles, and blood transfusions.
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Press, 14 May 1985, Page 24
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271A.I.D.S. brings ‘changes in lifestyle’ Press, 14 May 1985, Page 24
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