[HIV infections and their prophylaxis in the homosexual community of the Gdansk province]

Wiad Lek. 1994 Sep;47(17-18):714-8.
[Article in Polish]

Abstract

From 1985 to the end of 1993, 15,000 investigations were performed in total, for HIV infection in the Province of Gdańsk. Positive results of the tests were found in 316 persons, over 60% of whom being intravenous drug-addicts. In the group of persons reporting the possibility of infection through sexual contacts, the infection was found only in 15 out of 1755 studied subjects. Among homosexuals the infection was found in four out of 167 persons who underwent the investigation. In the whole group of 316 infected subjects this accounted for 1.2%. The above mentioned numbers are certainly too low. The causes of this should be seen in generally low attendance rate to the tests connected with low social awareness. However, in persons with different sexual orientation this is caused also by the fear of manifestation of their pecularity. In the activities for the control of HIV epidemic spreading in Poland indispensable is multi-sided educational initiative including the whole population, in which great help may be provided by homosexuals themselves. An evidence of this may be the results as yet of the cooperation between representatives of health care and homosexuals, discussed in the present paper.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Disease Outbreaks / prevention & control*
  • Female
  • HIV Infections / diagnosis
  • HIV Infections / epidemiology*
  • HIV Infections / etiology
  • Homosexuality / statistics & numerical data*
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Poland / epidemiology
  • Risk Factors
  • Serologic Tests
  • Sex Work / statistics & numerical data
  • Sexual Behavior
  • Substance Abuse, Intravenous / complications