title: HIV knowledge and sexual risk behavior among pregnant couples in South Africa: the PartnerPlus project.
abstract: In sub-Saharan Africa, 60 % of people living with HIV are women and most are of childbearing age. Alarmingly, seroconversion rates during pregnancy are high and increase as pregnancy progresses, highlighting the importance of increasing HIV-knowledge among pregnant women and their partners. This study compared sexual risk behavior, HIV knowledge and condom use pre- to post-partum among South African couples (n = 239 couples) randomly assigned to an intervention or an enhanced standard of care with the PMTCT protocol at rural community health antenatal clinics. Consistent condom use and HIV-related knowledge increased baseline to post-intervention and was maintained at long term follow up post-partum among participants in the intervention condition. HIV knowledge mediated the relationship between the intervention and consistent condom use. Results from this pilot study provide support for the integration of HIV risk reduction interventions for both women and men into existing PMTCT services during and following pregnancy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, FL, USA. ovillar2@med.miami.edu
authors.forename: Olga M
authors.initials: OM
authors.lastname: Villar-Loubet
authors.forename: Ryan
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cook
authors.forename: Nahida
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Chakhtoura
authors.forename: Karl
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Peltzer
authors.forename: Stephen M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Weiss
authors.forename: Molatelo Elisa
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Shikwane
authors.forename: Deborah L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Jones
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017280:Condoms / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003376:Counseling; D005260:Female; D006679:HIV Seropositivity / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D018445:Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D008499:Medical Records; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D040242:Risk Reduction Behavior; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012725:Sexual Behavior / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012747:Sexual Partners / Q000523:psychology; D013019:South Africa / Q000453:epidemiology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires