Sexual behavior and risk factors for HIV infection in a group of male factory workers who donated blood in Harare, Zimbabwe.
Zimbabwe has experienced a rapid rise in HIV seroprevalence in recent years. As many as 1 million people (10% of the population) are predicted to become seropositive by 2000. We examined social and behavioral factors associated with HIV infection in a case-control study among male factory workers who donated blood before the launching of the AIDS Awareness Campaign. There were 188 subjects: 69 were HIV-positive and 119 were HIV-negative. High-risk behavior was common in both groups. Among seronegative men, 73.1% reported a sexually transmitted disease (STD), 55.5% reported cash payment for sex, and 73.1% had outside girlfriends. Nonetheless, HIV-positive men were more likely to report a history of STD (OR = 3.9; 95% CI = 1.5-11.9), particularly genital ulcers (OR = 2.4; 95% CI = 1.2-4.8), and extramarital partners (OR = 2.8; 95% CI = 1.1-7.1). HIV-positive men reported more lifetime partners (16.5 vs. 12; p less than 0.05) and were less likely to live with their wives (OR = 0.51; 95% CI = 0.23-1.15). Our findings support the importance of genital ulcer as a risk factor and suggest widespread high-risk sexual behavior among urban working-class men.
Bassett
M T
MT
Department of Community Medicine, University of Zimbabwe, Harare.
Latif
A S
AS
Katzenstein
D A
DA
Emmanuel
J C
JC
D000328:Adult; D001782:Blood Donors; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003710:Demography; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015528:HIV Seroprevalence; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012307:Risk Factors; D012725:Sexual Behavior; D015030:Zimbabwe / Q000453:epidemiology