Table 1.

Attitudinal variables and answer categories

Reduced HIV concern (5 items):

• I am somewhat more willing to take a chance of getting infected or infecting someone else now that combination drug treatments are available.

• Because of combination drug treatments for HIV, I am less concerned about becoming HIV+ or infecting someone.

• I am a lot less worried about sexual slipping now that treatments may be given after unprotected sex.

• The availability of combination drug treatments for HIV makes me less worried about having unprotected sex.

• I am less concerned about having unprotected anal sex now that combination drug treatments are available.

Perception of HIV as a threat (2 items):

• HIV is no longer the threat it used to be.

• HIV is now a controllable disease like diabetes.

Safe sex fatigue (3 items):

• I feel tired of always having to monitor my sexual behavior.

• I find it difficult to maintain my commitment to safer sex.

• It takes a lot of effort to keep my sexual behavior safe.

Viral load/Transmission beliefs (3 items):

• It would be more difficult for an HIV+ person to infect a partner through unsafe sex if the HIV+ person was taking combination drug treatments.

• By taking combination drug treatments, an HIV+ person decreases the chances that he/she will infect a partner with HIV.

• An HIV+ person whose level of virus in the blood is undetectable is unlikely to transmit HIV to a sex partner.

Sexual sensation seeking (3 items):

• I like wild “uninhibited” sexual encounters.

• I like new and exciting sexual experience and sensations.

• I am interested in trying out new sexual experiences.