Incidence of putative HIV superinfection and sexual practices among HIV-infected men who have sex with men

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: To determine the upper limit for the incidence of clinically important HIV superinfection among HIV-infected men who have sex with men (MSM) and its relationship with engagement in unsafe sexual practices. METHODS: This was a retrospective cohort and nested case-control study. Electronic files of all HIV-infected MSM not on antiretroviral therapy were reviewed. Those clients with sudden, unexplained and sustained declines in CD4 T-cell counts and increases in plasma HIV RNA were considered as being putatively superinfected with HIV and were recruited as cases, whereas those without these features were recruited as controls (four per case) to answer a self-administered questionnai..