A.I.D.S. survey will probe love-making

Press, 24 March 1988, Page 53

A.I.D.S. survey will probe love-making

NZPA-Reuter London People in dozens of countries will be asked how they make love, how often and with whom, in a World [Health Organisation survey aimed at curbing the spread of A.I.D.S. Dr Manuel Carbello, a Spanish W.H.O. official at an A.I.D.S. conference in London, said the information would be used to help countries in their national education . campaigns against 1 A.I.D.S. ; '' • “We believe in the last .20 years there have.been big changes in patterns of sexuality. There is a connection between sexual behaviour and H.I.V. (human immuno deficiency ' virus) infection

and we need [to identify these patterns in order) to target our A.I.D.S. education campaigns,” he said. Starting in May, surveys will be sent tol samples of about 1600 people in east and west African countries, Latin America, Australia, the [Philippines, Thailand, | Belgium, Greece and Spain. [ | |. “We’re looking at how often people have sex putiside stable unions, what sort of sex they have and how fji'r they’ll travel'for it,”[ Dr Carballo said. I i There had been no [systematic study of human sexual behaviour since the 1948 and 1953 Kinsey reports on male; [and female sexuality. [' [

In some African countries, a sharp rise in [migration from rural to; urban areas | [ brought changes [ in i traditional sexual [• (behaviour that may contribute [ to ) [ the spreadiof A;I.D.S./he said. The surveys would I also try to [ find p out [why A.I.D.S!, [ which 11 is transmitted through sex, blood and from: mother to child, j has been largely confined;: [to homosexual men and) intravenous [drug users | in i the ’ West! [ but affects men and women equally in 1 Africa. 11. [ Other ‘ countries will be progressively added to the study. | Initial findings are due out[by ; the end of the year. [ [ [ . j ! [