HIV Prevalence Correlates with High-Risk Sexual Behavior in Ethiopia's Regions |
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| Authors: | Chris R. Kenyon Achilleas Tsoumanis Ilan Steven Schwartz |
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| Affiliation: | 1. HIV/STI Unit, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium.; 2. Department of Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.; 3. Department of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Health Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada.; 4. Department of Epidemiology and Social Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Antwerp, Belgium.; University of Liverpool, UNITED KINGDOM, |
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| Abstract: | BackgroundHIV prevalence varies between 0.9 and 6.5% in Ethiopia’s eleven regions. Little has been published examining the reasons for this variation.MethodsWe evaluated the relationship between HIV prevalence by region and a range of risk factors in the 2005 and 2011 Ethiopian Demographic Health Surveys. Pearson’s correlation was used to assess the relationship between HIV prevalence and each variable.ResultsThere was a strong association between HIV prevalence and three markers of sexual risk: mean lifetime number of partners (men: r = 0.87; P < 0.001; women: r = 0.60; P = 0.05); reporting sex with a non-married, non-cohabiting partner (men: r = 0.92; P < 0.001, women r = 0.93; P < 0.001); and premarital sex. Condom usage and HIV testing were positively associated with HIV prevalence, while the prevalence of circumcision, polygamy, age at sexual debut and male migration were not associated with HIV prevalence.ConclusionVariation in sexual behavior may contribute to the large variations in HIV prevalence by region in Ethiopia. Population-level interventions to reduce risky sexual behavior in high HIV incidence regions should be considered. |
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