Voluntarily informing others of positive HIV test results: patterns of notification by infected gay men.

Overview

Forty gay men who had recently learned that they were infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) were interviewed to determine the frequency with which they voluntarily informed physicians, dentists, friends, family members, and current and past sexual partners of their positive test results. Ninety percent of the subjects informed a personal physician, and 48 percent of the subjects who sought dental care informed the dentist. Sixty-six percent of subjects with at least one current sexual partner notified every current sexual partner, although notification was not associated with a greater likelihood of safer sex practices. Ninety percent of the subjects who had past sexual partners made no attempt to inform them. Sixty-eight percent confided in at least one friend, but only 35 percent told a family member.