Age and gender in the management of HIV-relevant sexual risks: theoretical background and first results of a population survey in the German speaking part of Switzerland

Health related lifestyles can be seen as resources for preventive behaviour in HIV-relevant situations. A concept was developed to analyse the management of HIV-relevant sexual risks and to uncover patterns of sexual lifestyles. In this paper first descriptive results will be presented focusing on gender and age. Methods: 2275 men and women between the ages of 19 and 65 from the German speaking part of Switzerland were interviewed in a computer-assisted telephone survey. Data were collected concerning attitudes, behaviours and resources, situational aspects and communication with regard to health and sexuality. Particularly, respondents were asked whether within the past 24 months they had had either first sexual contacts with new partners or casual sex, two forms of contacts which have special HIV relevance. Results: 527 men and women reported having had first or casual sexual contacts. First results show a substantial lack of condom use among persons of both sexes in the age group older than 45. In general men showed more risk behaviour than women. Conclusions: For the first time in Switzerland, detailed data were collected from persons older than 45 years regarding sexual risk behaviour. Older, sexually active people are a vulnerable target group which has been neglected thus far in terms of research and preventive measures. Copyright Birkhäuser Verlag Basel, 2002