Abstract
This paper examines self-reported risk factors and perceived chance of getting HIV/AIDS using five representative surveys of adult Albertans obtained in 1990, 1992, 1994, 1995, and 1996. The findings from this trend analysis demonstrate that less than 10% of respondents perceived their chance of getting HIV/AIDS to be medium or high. Persons with multiple sex partners tended to perceive themselves to be at risk. Almost 20% of respondents reported one or more new sex partners in the last two years prior to the survey. Condom use with new sex partners increased substantially. Fifteen percent of respondents reported two or more sex partners in total in the last two years prior to the survey. Fourteen percent reported having two or more sex partners including at least one casual sex partner, and of these 61% reported always using condoms with their casual sex partner(s). Finally, the most striking finding is the perception among health care workers that they are at risk for contracting HIV/AIDS.
Résumé
Ce document examine les facteurs de risque declares par les intéressés et les chances perçues de contracter le VIH/sida en se basant sur cinq sondages représentatifs des adultes albertains en 1990, 1992, 1994, 1995 et 1996. Les conclusions de cette analyse de tendance montre que moins de 10 % des répondants perçoivent leur chance de contracter le VIH/sida dans une proportion de moyenne à élevée. Les personnes qui ont des partenaires sexuels multiples tendent à se percevoir comme à risque. Près de 20 % des répondants ont rapporté avoir eu un nouveau partenaire sexuel ou plus dans les deux dernières années avant le sondage. L’utilisation du condom avec un nouveau partenaire sexuel a augmenté substantiellement. Quinze p. cent des répondants ont rapporté avoir eu deux partenaires sexuels ou plus durant les deux années qui ont précédé le sondage. Quatorze p. cent ont déclaré avoir eu deux partenaires sexuels ou plus incluant au moins un partenaire sexuel occasionnel et 61 % d’entre eux ont déclaré qu’ils utilisaient toujours le condom avec un partenaire sexuel occasionnel. Enfin, la conclusion la plus frappante est que les intervenants en soins de santé se perçoivent à risque de contracter le VIH/sida.
Footnotes
The data used in this study were provided by Alberta Health. The views expressed in this paper are not necessarily those of Alberta Health.
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