Introduction. Voluntary anonymous HIV counseling and testing can be an effective tool to reduce the behavior that has high risks of HIV, hepatitis C (HCV) and B (HBV) transmission. The dissemination of general information on HIV, HCV, HBV to reduce risky behavior is not as much of importance as counseling on specific individual infection-related sexual risk behavior. The objective was to identify HIV/HCV/HBV-related risk factors that have to be discussed during psychosocial counselingto help the individual to focus on his/her sexual risk behavior.Methods and materials. The study was conducted on the base of Saint-Petersburg Center for Control of AIDS with participation of 90 individuals who voluntary applied for HIV counseling and testing. Participants’ behavioral risks and HIV knowledge were assessed by the specifically developed structured questionnaire. The level of anxiety was measured by State-Train Anxiety Inventory (STAI adapted by Hanin), the level of need for extreme-risk behavior was measured by the Sensation Seeking Scale (Zuckerman).Results. Only 50 % of participants use condom with their steady sexual partner always or almost always. In 62 % cases, the steady sexual partner’s HIV-status is unknown. Many participants agree that HIV transmission occurs always after sexual contact with HIV-infected person. The level of situational anxiety is higher by those who do HIV testing repeatedly. Those who are more likely to seek new sensations use condom with their steady or other partner more often.Conclusion. Motivational intervention during pre- and post-counseling by HIV/HCV/HBV testing has to focus on the discussion of individual difficulties of condom use as the means for protection and on the individual’s resources for changing sexual behavior to protect him/her-self and his/her partner from infection with HIV and viral hepatitis.
Резюме Цель: выявить и проанализировать трудности у пациентов с ВИЧ-инфекцией перед началом антиретровирусной терапии, требующие особого внимания специалистов в процессе консультирования, а также оценить потребности пациентов в психологической помощи. Материалы и методы: проанализированы данные анкетирования и психометрического скрининга по шкале «The Somatic Symptom Disorder -B Criteria Scale» 365 ВИЧ-инфицированных пациентов, в том числе 155 (42,5%) женщин, участвовавших в групповом психологическом консультировании при подготовке к началу антиретровирусного лечения с июля 2017 г. по июль 2018 г. Средний возраст -37,2 лет. Результаты: трудности в связи с ВИЧ-инфекцией, отмечаемые пациентами перед началом терапии, по частоте ответов распределились следующим . Мониторинг приверженности лечению ВИЧ-инфекции показал, что 31,8% пациентов не склонны начинать прием препаратов сразу после рекомендации врача, а 13,4% откладывают начало терапии более чем на полгода. Заключение: при подготовке к началу антиретровирусной терапии пациент нуждается в помощи для планирования времени, связанного с лечением. Снижению рискованного сексуального поведения способствует разговор об отношении и готовности пациента к использованию презерватива, что, в свою очередь, помогает преодолевать страх раскрытия диагноза партнеру. Психологический скрининг позволяет выявлять
The first generation of children living with HIV since their infancy are growing up and create a new unique group of patients at AIDS Center. Young adults living all their life with chronicle disease that is stigmatized by the society especially in connection with sexuality, have same sexual and reproductive needs and rights as their HIV-negative peers. Aim of this study was to investigate attitudes, needs and social norms toward reproductive and sexual health among adolescents and young adults living with HIV since infancy, as well as their sexual behavior. Among 27 young males and females of 16–20 years old who have lived with HIV since infancy and who took part in anonymous on-line questionnaire, 50% are sexually active. Most of them didn’t experience restrictions in their sexual and reproductive rights, nevertheless they often feel fear of transmitting HIV sexually to the other person. Adolescents and young adults perinataly infected with HIV are willing to use condom during sex and disclose their HIV status to their partner, however they have difficulties in more «complicated» social situations. They have a need in talking about sexual and reproductive health.
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