Aug 3 : Sexual abstinence only programs are not effective in cutting down HIV risk in high-income countries, a University of Oxford study has found.

Abstinence only programmes encourage sexual abstinence as the exclusive means of preventing HIV infection, without promoting safer sex behaviours.

As part of the study researchers conducted 13 trials involving over 15,000 US youths to assess the effects of abstinence only programmes aimed to prevent HIV infection or HIV and pregnancy in high-income countries.

Researchers measured self-reported biological and behavioural outcomes such as sexually transmitted infection, pregnancy, frequency of unprotected sex, number of partners, and sexual initiation.

The study found that compared with various controls, no programme had a beneficial effect on incidence of unprotected vaginal sex, number of partners, condom use, sexual initiation, incidence of pregnancy, or incidence of sexually transmitted infection.

The results also suggested that abstinence only programmes did not increase primary abstinence (prevention) or secondary abstinence (decreased incidence and frequency of recent sex).

In contrast programmes that promoted the use of condoms greatly reduced the risk of acquiring HIV, especially when such programmes were culturally tailored behavioural interventions targeting people at highest risk of HIV infection.

Researchers suggested that priority should be given to culturally sensitive, sex specific, behavioural interventions that target Black and Hispanic patients in clinics for sexually transmitted infections, men who have sex with men, and adolescents being treated for drug misuse who are at highest risk of acquiring HIV.

The findings of the study were published in the August issue of British Medical Journal (BMJ). (ANI)

Tags:AIDS-HIV