HIV risk among adolescent girls and young women in age-disparate partnerships: Evidence from KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

Details

• Alternative Title:
  J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr
• Personal Author:
  Maughan-Brown, Brendan ; George, Gavin ; Beckett, Sean ; Evans, Meredith ; Lewis, Lara ; Cawood, Cherie ; Khanyile, David ; Kharsany, Ayesha BM
• Description:
  Background
  
  Evidence on the role of age-disparate partnerships in high HIV-infection rates among young women in sub-Saharan Africa remains inconclusive. This study examined the HIV-infection risk associated with age-disparate partnerships among 15–24 year-old women in a hyper-endemic setting in South Africa.
  
  Methods
  
  Face-to-face questionnaire, and laboratory HIV and viral load data were collected during 2014–2015 among a representative sample (15–49 years-old) in KwaZulu-Natal. The association between age-disparate partnerships (age-difference ≥5 years) and HIV-status among 15–24 year-old women (N=1459) was assessed using multiple logistic regression analyses. Data from the male sample on all on-going partnerships (N=1229) involving 15–24 year-old women were used to assess whether young women’s age-disparate male partners were more likely to have a viral load ≥1000 copies/ml, a marker of HIV-infection risk.
  
  Results
  
  Women reporting an age-disparity in any of their three recent partnerships were more likely to test HIV-positive compared to women with only age-similar partners (aOR:1.58, 95%CI:1.20–2.09,p<0.01). Among partnerships men reported with 15–24 year old women, the age-disparate male partners were more likely to be HIV-positive and have a viral load ≥1000 copies/mL (aOR:2.05, 95%CI:1.30–3.24,p<0.01) compared to age-similar partners. Results were similar for each category of age-disparity: partners 5–9 years older (aOR:2.01, 95%CI:1.18–3.43,p=0.010) and those ≥10 years older (aOR:2.17, 95%CI:1.01–4.66,p=0.048).
  
  Conclusions
  
  Results indicate that age-disparate partnerships increase young women’s HIV risk, although conclusive evidence was not ascertained. Interventions addressing risk from age-disparate sexual partnering, including expanding antiretroviral treatment among older partners, may help to reduce HIV-incidence among young women.
  
  
• Subjects:
  Adolescent Adult Age Factors Female HIV Infections Humans Incidence Male Middle Aged Risk Factors Sexual Behavior Sexual Partners Viral Load Young Adult

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• Source:
  J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr. 78(2):155-162
• Pubmed ID:
  29767637
• Pubmed Central ID:
  PMC5968825
• Document Type:
  Journal Article
• Funding:
  R01 HD083343/HD/NICHD NIH HHSUnited States/ ; U2G GH000372/GH/CGH CDC HHSUnited States/
• Place as Subject:
  South Africa
• Volume:
  78
• Issue:
  2
• Collection(s):
  CDC Public Access
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha256:29b12c6ad8b073614c7897c541577c52f483af03a0d52f6f4f58bd8493bff4a2
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/78991/cdc_78991_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 334.95 KB ]