A national household survey of a representative sample of 9,984 individuals aged 15 years or over, carried out in 1996 using a combination of face-to-face interviews and self-completion questionnaires, was analyzed in order to describe the frequency of HIV sexual risk behaviours and condom use in Spain. Of a total of 8,101 persons (81%) who completed the questionnaire, 37% reported no sexual partner during the previous 12 months, 57% reported one partner and 6% reported more than one partner. Three per cent reported engaging in HIV sexual risk behaviour (i.e. more than one partner and failure to use a condom systematically), a pattern of behaviour which showed independent positive association with the male sex, an age of 20-59 years and being unmarried. Among those who had casual sexual partners during the preceding 12 months, 38% had always used condoms. In the multivariate analysis, failure to use a condom systematically with casual partners was associated with a higher age and being married. Of those who had regular partners during the previous 12 months, 26% had always used condoms, a finding associated with a lower age, higher educational level, unmarried status and non-cohabitation with the sexual partner. This survey has furnished some useful indicators for prevention purposes. Periodic repetition of this survey would enable possible changes in sexual risk behaviours to be detected.
PIP: More than 100,000 HIV-infected people are estimated to reside in Spain, accounting for almost 33% of all HIV infections in the European Union. The HIV seroprevalence rate exceeds 3/1000 adult population. A national household survey of a representative sample of 9984 people of minimum age 15 years was conducted in 1996 using a combination of face-to-face interviews and self-completion questionnaires. Of the 8101 people who completed the questionnaire, 37% reported having no sex partner during the preceding 12 months, 57% reported having 1 partner, and 6% reported having more than 1 partner. 3% reported having more than 1 partner and the non-regular use of condoms. Such HIV sexual risk behavior was independently positively associated with being male, aged 20-59 years, and unmarried status. 38% of those who had casual sex partners during the previous 12 months had always used condoms, with failure to use condoms systematically with casual partners associated with being of higher age and married. Of those who had regular sex partners during the preceding 12 months, 26% had always used condoms, a finding associated with a lower age, higher educational level, unmarried status, and non-cohabitation with the sex partner.