Heterosexual relationship characteristics, condom use and safe sex practices.

It was examined whether sexual relationship characteristics were associated with condom use and safe sex practices against HIV. Characteristics investigated were: (1) age difference between sexual partners, (2) previous knowledge of partner, (3) type of relationship, (4) duration, and (5) exclusiveness. Safe sex practices (risky, non-safe, safe) were defined by condom use consistency, previous knowledge of partner and monogamy. Participants (N = 458, were Greek, sexually active and between 18-25 years old) responded to a questionnaire on sexual and condom use practices in their sexual relationships of the past 12 months, condom use negotiation and variables a-e. Only age difference between partners was found to differentiate consistent from inconsistent condom use. Inconsistent condom use was more frequent among partners whose age difference was over two years. Safe sex practices (risky, non-safe, safe) varied across different relationships of 36% and remained consistently non-safe or risky across those of 40%. Risky practices occurred more frequently in relationships where the man was older than the woman. When condoms had not been used, they had not been negotiated in 80% of the cases. These findings reconfirm the importance of negotiation in condom use, call attention to the neglected role of age differences between partners in safe sex and bring forward the issue of studying actual variation of safe sex practices across relationships as an indication of people's response to health campaign messages of risk reduction.

Phenylketonuria in Greece: 12 years' experience.

Screening of 1,042,000 Greek newborns for PKU using the Guthrie test, revealed a mean incidence 1:10,420 for Hyperphenylalaninaemia (1:24,233 classic PKU and 1:18,280 benign variants). The mean Phe concentration of the first sample (3-15 days) was 14.1 mg/dl (6-40) for PKU while, for variants, it was 7.7 mg/dl (4-16). Using 4 mg/dl as the limit under which no repeat test was requested, no case of PKU has been missed. On the whole, 100 newborns with persistent Hphe have been detected: 43 proved to be classical PKU and 57 benign variants. After excluding BH4 deficiency, Phe blood level has been kept below 10 mg/dl in all Hphe babies during the first 2 years of life, irrespective of the type of Hphe. All treated Hphe babies have developed normally. Discrimination between PKU and variants was achieved in the 6-18 months of life with protein loading tests. Treated PKU children had the lowest Phe concentrations during the first year of life (mean 5.1 mg/dl). From then on, a steady yearly increase was observed. Their mean IQ in the Stanford-Binet L-M dropped from 107.2 in the second year to 95.8 in the sixth year. A high negative correlation is not clearly shown, probably due to the small number of cases. PKU clinic (supportive and counselling group therapy) along with individual consultations have proved to be helpful, as has the promotion of diet compliance. The need to individualize each of Hphe before deciding upon ways of treatment is stressed and a protocol to be followed for each Hphe is proposed.