Sexual behaviour and risks of HIV infection in Europe - an integrated relationship-based survey protocol for the general population

• Research unit: EU RFP
• Project number: 97.0222

Key words (English)

Sexual behaviour; international comparison; survey; Europe; HIV/Aids

Alternative project number (English)

EU project number: SOC9620170205F02

Research programs (English)

EU-programme: 4. Frame Research Programme - 15.1 Ausserhalb Rahmenprogramm

Short description (English)

See abstract

Further information (English)

Full name of research-institution/enterprise:
Institut universitaire de médecine sociale et préventive
UEPP

Partners and International Organizations (English)

Facultés Universitaires Saint-Louis, Bruxelles (B)

Abstract (English)

This project was primarily based on the lessons learned from a previous BIOMED Concerted Action (1991-95) on 'Sexual Behaviour and Risks of HIV infection' that showed 1) the relatively weak comparability of the survey protocols previously used in Europe to analyse sexual behaviour and assess HIV prevention in the general population and 2) the difficulty of performing comparative analyses downstream from data collection . This led to the launch of a new project, funded by DGV from November 1996 until November 98, to design a common set of indicators and survey questions upstream from the next general population surveys. The aim was to improve the comparability of some key indicators of sexual behaviour, potentially risky behaviour and preventive practices, as well as to study how people respond to HIV risk in their new sexual relationships (using a New Encounter Module or 'NEM'). These new relationships are considered as key moment for the adoption and maintenance of prevention, as well as for HIV dissemination. They are also a good indicator to follow up trends in the use of prevention. According to this contract, the common set of indicators and survey questions was designed with all the participants. It was pre-tested in several countries (Switzerland, France, Slovenia), then used in the main surveys of Norway (Oct-Dec 97), Switzerland (Oct 97), Germany (Nov 97), France (Jan-Feb 98),and England (May-June 98). First comparative analyses between France, Germany, Norway and Switzerland about the public awareness of the new HIV/Aids treatments and the changes in the perception of HIV risk was presented at the XII World AIDS Conference in Geneva (plenary session - #43573LB16) and will soon be submitted to a scientific journal.
Switzerland data regarding trends in HIV related exposure and protection behaviour as well as analysis of the NEM module data have been published in the sixth synthesis report on the evaluation of the Swiss HIV prevention strategy .
A project for a new 2 years Concerted action has been submitted to the DG V in order to carry on comparative data analysis based on a common data file. It has been accepted in February 1999.

References in databases (English)

Swiss Database: Euro-DB of the
State Secretariat for Education and Research
Hallwylstrasse 4
CH-3003 Berne, Switzerland
Tel. [phone]
Swiss Project-Number: 97.0222