This was published as an introduction to commentary "HIV: The millennium bug" and the paper "HIV infection and risk behaviours among young gay and bisexual men in Vancouver" in the January 2000 issue of the Canadian Medical Association Journal (2000;162:1).

Highlights of this issue

See also:

HIV infection and risk behaviours among young gay and bisexual men in Vancouver [Paper]

HIV: the millennium bug [Commentary]

The first year's follow-up results of a prospective study involving 681 young gay and bisexual men in Vancouver reveal a high incidence of HIV infection and a disturbing trend toward increasing levels of unprotected anal sex. Over a total of 638.63 person-years, 11 men became seropositive between enrolment and follow-up, for an overall HIV incidence rate of 1.7 per 100 person-years. This rate rose to 9.5 per 100 person-years among those who exchanged sex for money, good or drugs. Of the 232 men with casual partners who reported having protected anal sex in the year before enrolment, 43 (18.5%) reported at least one episode of unprotected anal sex in the subsequent year. Have advances in HIV therapy engendered complacency in this cohort? Wealthy nations must not be lulled into viewing HIV infection as a manageable chronic illness, warns editorialist Brian Willoughby, citing a worldwide prevalence of over 26 million and low compliance with complex drug regimens among poor people and injection drug users.

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