title: The HIV epidemic in Zambia: socio-demographic prevalence patterns and indications of trends among childbearing women.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine socio-demographic HIV prevalence patterns and trends among childbearing women in Zambia.
  
  
  METHODS
  Repeated cross-sectional surveys.
  
  
  METHODS
  Personal interviews and unlinked anonymous testing of blood samples of women attending antenatal care in selected areas.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The 1994 data includes information from 27 areas and a total of 11,517 women. The HIV prevalence among urban residents appeared with moderate variation at a very high level (range 25-32%, comparing provinces). The geographical variation was more prominent in rural populations (range 8-16%) and was approximately half the prevalence level of the urban populations. With the exception of the 15-19 years age-group, HIV infection was found to rise sharply with increasing educational attainment (odds ratio, 3.1; confidence interval, 2.6-3.8) when contrasting extreme educational levels. Although the assessment of trends is somewhat restricted, the available information indicates stable prevalence levels in most populations over the last 2-4 years.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The data showed extremely high HIV prevalence levels among childbearing women. Longer time-intervals between surveys are needed, however, in order to verify the stability in prevalence identified by this study. The tendency to changing differentials by social status is suggested as a possible sign of an ongoing process of significant behavioural change.
authors.affiliation: Epidemiology and Research Unit, National AIDS, STD, TB & Leprosy Programme, Lusaka, Zambia.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Fylkesnes
authors.forename: R M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Musonda
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kasumba
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Ndhlovu
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mluanda
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kaetano
authors.forename: C C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Chipaila
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D003710:Demography; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D015995:Prevalence; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D015024:Zambia / Q000453:epidemiology