Risk of HIV transmission within marriage in rural China: implications for HIV prevention at the family level.
BACKGROUND
Little is known about HIV transmission at the family level in China.


OBJECTIVE
: We examined the risks for HIV transmission between husbands and wives and from parents to children in a rural area where HIV spread among former commercial blood donors.


METHODS
A cross-sectional study was conducted among 605 (302 couples) marriage license applicants.


RESULTS
More males (64.6%) than females (52.1%) reported having had premarital sex and multiple sex partners (12.6% and 6.9%, respectively). Among those having had multiple sex partners, 8.5% reported often or always using condoms. Only 36.8% of the couples agreed that they would not plan to have a baby after knowing the status of HIV infection. Approximately 43% of the couples agreed that they would use condoms consistently if 1 of them were HIV-positive.


CONCLUSIONS
There is an urgent need for national programs to prevent HIV infection within couples in rural areas.
Liu
Hongjie
H
School of Medicine, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48201, USA. hongjie@med.wayne.edu
Detels
Roger
R
Li
Xiaoming
X
Stanton
Bonita
B
Hu
Zhi
Z
Yang
Hongmei
H
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D017280:Condoms; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D018562:Disease Transmission, Infectious; D005114:Extramarital Relations; D005193:Family Planning Services; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000635:transmission; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012307:Risk Factors; D012424:Rural Population; D021841:Safe Sex; D018454:Spouses; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires