Human resources for health ; demand and supply projection ; medical specialists ; demand-based approach ; physician requirement

Objective
 To investigate the relationship between uses of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) and sexual behavior among people living with HIV (PLHIV) in northeast Thailand.
Methods
 Data were collected both by interviews using a structured questionnaire and by a self-administered questionnairewith HIV positive patients who made an outpatient visit to a public hospital in northeast Thailand between March2004 and January 2005. Fisher's exact test and multiple logistic regression analysis were conducted to identify thefactors associated with regular condom use when these patients had sex with their spouse/partner.
Results
 Among 289 patients (146 with HAART and 143 without HAART) who participated in the study, 122 had sex with their spouse/partner in the three months before the survey. Among them, 70 used a condom every time, 17 used a condom sometimes, 32 never, and 3 unknown. Excluding the 6 patients who did not answer all of the questions, 116 patients remained in the analysis. In the multiple logistic regression analysis, sex, education, employment, years since HIV infection, illness episode in the past one month, and use of HAART were entered as the explanatory factors. Use of HAART (odds ratio=9.8, 95% CI: 2.9 - 32.9) and current employment (odds ratio= 5.2, 95%CI: 1.3 - 20.9) were significantly associated with regular condom use.
Conclusion
 Use of HAART was positively associated with use of condoms when PLHIV had sex with their spouse or partner.