OBJECTIVETo understand that whether initiation of antiretroviral therapy (ART) would impact on the change and its reasons regarding the HIV-related high risk behaviors among HIV-positive clients who attending the methadone maintenance treatment (MMT).

METHODSIn-depth interviews were conducted among 34 MMT clients in Yunnan province who were under ART. The related contents would include information on general demographic charicteristics, HIV infection,MMT, number of sexual partners before and after ART, sexual behavior and frequency of condom use, drug use, needle sharing, changes in risk behaviors before and after the ART, reasons for high-risk behavior, of the clients.

RESULTSThe average age of the interviewees was 38.5 years, and most of them were male (70.6%). The clients under this study all admitted that the frequencies of unsafe sex and needle sharing did not increase after the ART initiation, with the main reasons as increasing HIV related awareness, the use of methadone, high accessibility of free condoms and access to clean needles etc. However, 12 of 34 reported being relapsed and 3 reported inconsistent condom use. The interaction of ART and dosage of methadone were connected to the episodes of relapsing and the ART optimism would result in inconsistent condom use.

CONCLUSIONNo evidence supported that the ART initiation would increase the risk behaviors among the HIV-infected MMT clients. However, attention needs to be paid to the new challenges caused by high expectation of ART.