Prevention of AIDS: free condoms to drug abusers in the Municipality of Copenhagen.

The slogan "safer sex" was presented in a questionnaire investigation carried out over an interval of 6 months among intravenous drug addicts (N = 116) attending three different outpatient clinics in Copenhagen. Despite this, many of the patients, who were mainly heterosexual and many of whom were HIV positive, continued to practice sexual and injection behaviors which exposed both them and others to HIV infection. Free condoms and advice have been offered as a part of the campaign against AIDS. The initiative was well accepted by the drug addicts and within a period of 6 months there was an increase of 19% in the group which employed condoms. It is concluded that there is still a need for initiatives and research to support the changes achieved in the behavioral pattern of the population.