Reliability of sexual behavior self-reports in male couples of discordant HIV status

Seventy-five male couples, where one member was HIV-positive and his partner was HIV-negative, were assessed concerning anal sexual-risk behavior: Subsequently the reliability of their self-reports was determined by two methods: (a) by comparing the separate reports of each member of the couple and (b) by a one week test-retest of 27 individuals. Both quantitative and qualitative assessment methods were used Approximately half of the men had practiced anal sex with their serodiscordant partners during the year prior to the interview, and between half and one quarter of those men reported not using protection consistently. After careful analyses of the discrepancies found in the self-report of the numbers of some couples, it was established that, for the most part, primary partners confirmed the report of index respondents concerning their sexual behavior with each other: The most frequent reasons for interpartner discrepancies were poor recall of isolated incidents, inaccuracy in limiting responses to the given time frame, different interpretations of what constitutes sex (despite precise and clear definitions in the assessment), and plain lack of agreement about what actually took place. Also, over a one week period individuals were consistent in the report of the frequency of various sexual behaviors they performed with their primary partners.