title: Predictors of perceived male partner concurrency among women at risk for HIV and STI acquisition in Durban, South Africa.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Women in sub-Saharan Africa continue to be at greater risk for HIV acquisition than men. Concurrency, viz. multiple sexual partnerships that overlap over time, has been studied as a possible risk factor for HIV transmission. The aim of this study was to identify predictors of perceived male partner concurrency among sexually active, HIV negative women.
  
  
  METHODS
  Socio-demographic and behavioural data from women enrolled in a biomedical HIV prevention clinical trial were assessed in relation to perceived male partner concurrency using the Chi squared test. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression was performed to assess the independent predictors of perceived male partner concurrency. Kaplan-Meier survival estimates were obtained for HIV and STI incidence in relation to male partner concurrency. A Cox Proportional Hazards model was used to assess the association between perceived male partner concurrency and HIV and STI incidence.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results revealed that 29 % of women reported their male partners to be in concurrent sexual relationships, 22 % reported partners that were not engaging in concurrency, whilst 49 % reported not knowing their partners concurrency status. Older women, having never married, experiencing economic abuse, and women reporting individual concurrency, were found to be significant predictors of perceived male partner concurrency in the studied population. Perceived male partner concurrency was not found to be a significantly associated with incident HIV and STI infections in this analysis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The study provides insight into predictors of perceived male partner concurrency among women at high risk for STI and HIV acquisition. These results may inform the design of behavioural and biomedical interventions, to address the role of multiple sexual partnerships in HIV prevention.
authors.affiliation: HIV Prevention Research Unit, South African Medical Research Council, Durban, South Africa.
authors.forename: Zakir
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Gaffoor
authors.affiliation: The Kirby Institute, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.
authors.forename: Handan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wand
authors.affiliation: HIV Prevention Research Unit, South African Medical Research Council, Durban, South Africa.
authors.forename: Renée A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Street
authors.affiliation: HIV Prevention Research Unit, South African Medical Research Council, Durban, South Africa.
authors.forename: Nathlee
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Abbai
authors.affiliation: HIV Prevention Research Unit, South African Medical Research Council, Durban, South Africa.
authors.forename: Gita
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ramjee
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000635:transmission*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D012725:Sexual Behavior / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012747:Sexual Partners; D012749:Sexually Transmitted Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000635:transmission; D013019:South Africa / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Concurrency; HIV; Prevention