HIV Prevalence Correlates with High-Risk Sexual Behavior in Ethiopia's Regions.
BACKGROUND
HIV prevalence varies between 0.9 and 6.5% in Ethiopia's eleven regions. Little has been published examining the reasons for this variation.


METHODS
We evaluated the relationship between HIV prevalence by region and a range of risk factors in the 2005 and 2011 Ethiopian Demographic Health Surveys. Pearson's correlation was used to assess the relationship between HIV prevalence and each variable.


RESULTS
There was a strong association between HIV prevalence and three markers of sexual risk: mean lifetime number of partners (men: r = 0.87; P < 0.001; women: r = 0.60; P = 0.05); reporting sex with a non-married, non-cohabiting partner (men: r = 0.92; P < 0.001, women r = 0.93; P < 0.001); and premarital sex. Condom usage and HIV testing were positively associated with HIV prevalence, while the prevalence of circumcision, polygamy, age at sexual debut and male migration were not associated with HIV prevalence.


CONCLUSIONS
Variation in sexual behavior may contribute to the large variations in HIV prevalence by region in Ethiopia. Population-level interventions to reduce risky sexual behavior in high HIV incidence regions should be considered.
HIV/STI Unit, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium; Department of Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.
Chris R
CR
Kenyon
HIV/STI Unit, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium.
Achilleas
A
Tsoumanis
Department of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Health Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada; Department of Epidemiology and Social Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Antwerp, Belgium.
Ilan Steven
IS
Schwartz
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002944:Circumcision, Male; D017280:Condoms / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005002:Ethiopia / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D005843:Geography; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006306:Health Surveys / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012725:Sexual Behavior / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012747:Sexual Partners; D055815:Young Adult