Patterns of Sexual Behavior of Male Patients Before Testing HIV-Positive in a Cambodian Hospital, Phnom Penh

The researchers undertook a retrospective cross-sectional survey of 174 male HIV patients between March 1999 and June 2000 in Phnom Penh. The purpose of the study was to compare the patterns of sexual behaviors and social factors between married men and single men.

Most participants (61 percent) said they were unaware that their sexual behaviors may have put them at risk of HIV infection. Reported sexual behaviors include sex with a sex worker (90 percent); multiple sex partners (41 percent); and both of these behaviors (37 percent). Sixty-nine percent reported using a condom with a sex worker, but only 24 percent reported using a condom with multiple partners. Married men were less likely than single men to report a history of condom use with sex workers (P=0.008). Reports of always using a condom with a sex worker did not differ between married and single men. Factors that influenced patronizing sex workers included being invited by a friend (88 percent), consuming alcohol (74 percent), and having extra spending money (72 percent). After multivariate analysis, consuming alcohol (P=0.008) and having extra money (P=0.02) were strongly associated with visiting a sex worker.

"In Cambodia, HIV-infected men frequently reported a history of using sex workers," the authors concluded. "Having multiple sex partners or using a sex worker and multiple partners were not rare. Interventions should target men in settings where alcohol is consumed and encourage married men to use condoms."

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