Researchers ask HIV-negative individuals enrolled in these studies to report how many times they have had sex in a given period of time, what type of sex they had, how often they used condoms and the HIV status of their partner(s). To do this effectively, a group of HIV-negative individuals need to be followed over time and their exposures to HIV-both the number of times they are exposed and the types of exposure-need to be tracked.Īs you can imagine, accurately tracking the number of times a person is exposed to HIV is very difficult.
It isn't easy for researchers to calculate the risk of transmission from an exposure to HIV through sex. What do the latest studies tell us about this risk? And how should we interpret and communicate the results? Challenges in calculating a number Service providers working in HIV prevention are often asked by their patients and clients about the risk of HIV transmission from an exposure to HIV through sex. For more information, contact CATIE at 1-80. This information was provided by CATIE (the Canadian AIDS Treatment Information Exchange). Putting a Number on It: The Risk from an Exposure to HIV
