Risky Sexual Behavior Is Common Among Teens with Perinatally Acquired HIV Infection

Although perinatal HIV transmission is fast becoming a historical relic in developed countries, most major HIV centers still care for a generation of survivors who have reached adolescence and are becoming sexually active. To estimate the prevalence, predictors, and risks of sexual activity in this group, researchers tapped into a prospective, multicenter cohort study of perinatally infected children and adolescents in the U.S.

A total of 330 study participants aged 10 to 18 years completed one or more computer-based self-assessments on sexual activity during a 2.5-year period. Overall, 92 (30% of males and 26% of females) reported having had sexual intercourse, with the proportion increasing from about 10% of children aged ≤13 years to 53% …