“My Wife is Married and So is My Girlfriend”: Adaptations to the Threat of AIDS in an Arrestee Population

Abstract

A study of behavioral adaptations by a sample of arrestees to the safe-sex campaign documents a high level of risk for HIV, even among those who practice safe sex. Subjects described their preferred safe-sex practices in confidential interviews. The modal response for both males and females was “none.” Large proportions of the sample reported adaptations of questionable effectiveness. Those reporting the officially prescribed safe-sex behaviors often practice a permissive form of safe sex. The results underscore the need for AIDS counseling for arrestees who believe that strict safe-sex practices place intolerable restraints on forming and sustaining sexual relationships.

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