CONCISE COMMUNICATION Are HIV care providers talking with patients about safer sex and disclosure?: A multi-clinic assessment

Objectives: To examine HIV-positive patients ’ reports of whether HIV care providers ever talked with them about practicing safer sex and disclosing seropositive status to sex partners. Design: Cross-sectional survey (1998–1999) of HIV-positive men and women sampled randomly at six public HIV clinics in California. Methods: Participants were interviewed and asked whether applicable clinic provi-ders (physician, physician assistant, nurse practitioner, nurse, social worker, health educator, psychologist, psychiatrist) ever talked with them about safer sex or disclo-sure. Responses were analyzed by clinic site, HIV medical status (viral load), demographic, and behavioral variables (unprotected intercourse, non-disclosure). Results: The sample (n 839) included heterosexual men (n 127), men who have sex with men (MSM; n 607), and women (n 105). Thirty-nine percent were white, 36 % Hispanic, 17 % black, and 8 % other/mixed ethnicity. Overall, 71 % reported that an applicable provider had talked with them at least once about safer sex (range across clinics, 52–94%); 50 % reported discussion of disclosure (range across clinics