Changes in At-Risk Behavior for HIV Infection among HIV-Positive Persons in Italy

Many HIV-positive persons reportedly continue to engage in at-risk behavior. We compared the sexual and drug-using practices of HIV-positive persons before and after the diagnosis of HIV infection to determine whether their behavior had changed. To this end, in 2006, we conducted a cross-sectional study involving clinical centers in five Italian cities. Each center was asked to enroll 100 persons aged 18 years or older who had a diagnosis of HIV infection that dated back at least 2 years. Data were collected with a specifically designed questionnaire, administered during a structured interview. The McNemar chi2 test was used to compare the data before and after the diagnosis. A total of 497…