ABSTRACT
The Western world discovered human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immune deficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) as a disease of gay men and intravenous drug users. However, the growing global HIV epidemic is currently fueled by heterosexual transmission. Although effective antiviral treatment was shown to reduce the sexual and vertical transmission of HIV1-4, the rates of heterosexual transmission in industrialized countries are on the rise5-8. This fact may reflect the delayed detection of heterosexually infected individuals who, not perceiving themselves at risk, refrain from testing and can transmit the infection to their sexual partners. On the other hand, attention to safe-sex practices may diminish in HIV-positive individuals taking highly active antiretroviral treatment (HAART). Also, their HIV-negative sexual partners might perceive HIV infection as less infectious or even less dangerous9.
