HIV/AIDS educators knew the safe-sex message was often falling on deaf ears but even they are expressing shock at the results of a newly released study on gays and the virus which causes AIDS.The survey, conducted throughout Ireland shows that nearly half of those gay men questioned about their sexual practices were not using condoms.
Just as shocking the researchers also found the number of gay men being tested for HIV had fallen dramatically over the past four years.
In 2000 Nearly 70 percent of Irish gay men went for blood tests to determine their status. But by 2004 the number had fallen to less than 50 percent.
The survey was carried out for the Gay Men’s Health Project and presented at a recent Gay Health Forum in Dublin.
Men under 20 were the least likely to have been tested for HIV the survey discovered.
Of those people who were tested, the survey showed, men in their 30s and 40s were the most likely to receive a positive result.
The researchers also found that economics played a role in who was tested. People with more education and higher paying jobs were more likely to be tested.
The unemployed and working poor were the least likely.
(Source:Gay365.com)
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