Daily HealthBeat Tip

POZ Parties

From the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, I�m Ira Dreyfuss with HHS HealthBeat.

They�re called POZ parties � positive for HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. Men who have HIV get together for unprotected sex � limited to already-infected people. Because participants know they have HIV, they feel they don�t have to disclose their status to their sex partners.

Researchers are studying these parties. Michael Clatts of the nongovernment National Development and Research Institutes in New York published his findings in the journal Sexually Transmitted Infections. The work was supported by the National Institutes of Health.

"The most frequent reason that men gave for participating in these venues was the opportunity provided for unrestricted sex. But most men also strongly voiced concerns about status disclosure and not wanting to infect others." (12 seconds)

But Clatts says these men may still spread other sexually transmitted diseases and might foster worse strains of HIV.

Learn more at www.hhs.gov.

HHS HealthBeat is a production of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. I'm Ira Dreyfuss.

Last revised: November 14, 2005

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