Study: Most HIV-positive people willing to tell partners

A study by researchers at the New York State Psychiatric Institute published in the journal Sexually Transmitted Diseases shows that most people who test positive for HIV antibodies are willing to contact their sex partners to inform them, regardless of whether they are required to by law, Reuters Health reports. The researchers surveyed nearly 4,000 men and women who underwent HIV antibody tests and counseling at 14 sites in New York City. Only 18% of men who had sex with men who completed the survey said they were unable or unwilling to track down and inform their partners of their test results on their own. Overall, more than 94% of all survey respondents said they would contact at least one sex partner without prompting by health authorities.

The survey also showed that the state's partner notification law did not lead people to avoid testing for HIV antibodies, as had been feared by some AIDS advocates. "We saw no drop in numbers at all," said Drew De Los Reyes, director of the David Geffen Center for HIV Prevention and Health Education at Gay Men's Health Crisis. "As a matter of fact, we've seen a slight increase in the numbers being tested, with a return rate of over 99%."