title: Marital status and HIV prevalence among women in Nigeria: Ingredients for evidence-based programming.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the influence of marital status and other correlates on HIV infection among women in Nigeria.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data were extracted from the 2012 Nigerian population-based HIV/AIDS and reproductive health survey. The survey determined the HIV status of consenting women using standard procedures. Data were weighted and analyzed using descriptive statistics and logistic regression at the 5% significance level.
  
  
  RESULTS
  HIV prevalence among currently married and never married women was 3.4%, but was 5.9% among formerly married women. The odds of HIV infection were found to be 1.8 times higher among formerly married women compared with currently married women (odds ratio (OR) 1.8, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.3-2.5) and never married women (OR 1.8, 95% CI 1.2-2.6). Also, the odds of HIV infection were 1.5 times higher among women who had made their sexual debut before the age of 15 years (adjusted OR 1.5, 95% CI 1.1-2.1) compared with women who delayed it. The odds of HIV infection were 1.4 times higher among women who had recently had transactional sex (adjusted OR 1.4, 95% CI 1.1-2.0) compared with others.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Being formerly married, under 15 years of age at first sex, and having engaged in transactional sex were found to be the strongest HIV risk factors among women. Besides empowering formerly married women and providing better social security, these women should be targeted in HIV programming and policies.
authors.affiliation: School of Research and Postgraduate Studies (SoRPS), North West University, Mafikeng, South Africa; Department of Epidemiology and Medical Statistics, Faculty of Public Health, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Nigeria. Electronic address: franstel74@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Adeniyi Francis
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Fagbamigbe
authors.affiliation: Planning, Research and Statistics, National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, Abuja, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Samson Babatunde
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Adebayo
authors.affiliation: School of Research and Postgraduate Studies (SoRPS), North West University, Mafikeng, South Africa.
authors.forename: Erhabor
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Idemudia
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D017533:Marital Status; D008393:Marriage; D008875:Middle Aged; D009549:Nigeria / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence
keywords: HIV/AIDS; Marital status of women; Nigeria; Sexual debut; Transactional sex