The State - News from Oct. 11, 1985

A new survey shows a decrease in unsafe sexual practices in San Francisco’s gay population, presumably spurred by fear of AIDS. Between August, 1984, and April, 1985, in surveys of more than 300 gay or bisexual men, the number who said they were monogamous, celibate or engaged in “unsafe” sex practices only with a steady partner rose from 69% to 81%, the national Centers for Disease Control reported. At the same time, the number of gay or bisexual men reporting sex with more than one partner over the last month decreased from 49% to 39%. The decrease in such sexual behavior comes at a time when the AIDS virus has flourished in San Francisco’s gay community; 1,536 cases have been reported in the San Francisco area, second only to New York. Acquired immune deficiency syndrome, which cripples the body’s ability to fight disease, is believed transmitted through the exchange of body fluids. Its principal victims include homosexual and bisexual men and intravenous drug users.