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Objective: To assess the maintenance of safe sexual practice.(We use the term'safe'sex throughout the paper, since'safe'is the term adopted by the Australian National Committee on AIDS.)

Design: Maintenance was assessed by comparing sexual behaviour with both regular and casual partners reported in a 1986/1987 survey (time 1) with behaviour reported in a second survey in 1991 (time 2).

Method: The 145 homosexually active participants were a non-clinical sample recruited in 1986/1987 by advertisement and followed-up in 1991. A structured questionnaire was administered at both times. Items included questions about the nature of the men's sexual relationships and their sexual practices.

Results: Our findings indicate that the majority of men had sustained safe sex practices. HIV prevention strategies adopted included condom use, avoidance of anal intercourse and negotiated safety (ie, the negotiated …