HIV status and union dissolution in sub-Saharan Africa: the case of Rakai, Uganda.
Little is known about the impact of HIV infection on the disruption of families through separation, divorce, and widowhood. Using life tables and multinomial logistic regression, this research examined the influence of HIV status on the risk of separation or divorce and widowhood among women in Rakai, Uganda. The multivariate results revealed that dissolution is more common among HIV-infected women and that infected women in HIV-discordant couples are especially likely to face separation or divorce than women in other HIV-status couples. These results highlight women's vulnerability to the social impact of HIV infection and the importance of dyadic studies of the disruption of unions.
Department of Population and Family Health Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, USA. lporter@cdc.gov
Laura
L
Porter
Lingxin
L
Hao
David
D
Bishai
David
D
Serwadda
Maria J
MJ
Wawer
Thomas
T
Lutalo
Ronald
R
Gray
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017954:Africa South of the Sahara / Q000453:epidemiology; D004243:Divorce; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D015993:Life Tables; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008393:Marriage; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D014454:Uganda / Q000453:epidemiology; D016387:Women's Health