Sexual risk behaviors among HIV-infected South African men and women with their partners in a primary care program: implications for couples-based prevention

AIDS Behav. 2012 Jan;16(1):139-50. doi: 10.1007/s10461-011-9941-y.

Abstract

We studied 1163 sexually-active HIV-infected South African men and women in an urban primary care program to understand patterns of sexual behaviors and whether these behaviors differed by partner HIV status. Overall, 40% reported a HIV-positive partner and 60% a HIV-negative or status unknown partner; and 17.5% reported >2 sex acts in the last 2 weeks, 16.4% unprotected sex in the last 6 months, and 3.7% >1 sex partner in the last 6 months. Antiretroviral therapy (ART) was consistently associated with decreased sexual risk behaviors, as well as with reporting a HIV-negative or status unknown partner. The odds of sexual risk behaviors differed by sex; and were generally higher among participants reporting a HIV-positive partner, but continued among those with a HIV-negative or status unknown partner. These data support ART as a means of HIV prevention. Engaging in sexual risk behaviors primarily with HIV-positive partners was not widely practiced in this setting, emphasizing the need for couples-based prevention.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Anti-Retroviral Agents / therapeutic use
  • Black People
  • CD4 Lymphocyte Count
  • Cross-Sectional Studies
  • Family Characteristics
  • Female
  • HIV Infections / drug therapy
  • HIV Infections / epidemiology
  • HIV Infections / prevention & control*
  • HIV Infections / psychology
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Prevalence
  • Primary Health Care / statistics & numerical data
  • Risk-Taking*
  • Self Disclosure
  • Sexual Behavior / psychology*
  • Sexual Partners / psychology*
  • Socioeconomic Factors
  • South Africa / epidemiology
  • Surveys and Questionnaires
  • Urban Population
  • Young Adult

Substances

  • Anti-Retroviral Agents