HIV Insight: Risk Factors for Incident HIV Infection among Antenatal Mothers in Rural Eastern Cape, South Africa

BACKGROUND:

The prevalence of HIV among antenatal clients in South Africa has remained at a very high rate of about 29% despite substantial decline in several sub-Saharan countries. There is a paucity of data on risk factors for incident HIV infection among antenatal mothers and women within the reproductive age bracket in local settings in the Eastern Cape, South Africa.

OBJECTIVE:

To establish the risk factors for incident HIV infection among antenatal clients aged 18-49 years attending public antenatal clinics in rural Eastern Cape, South Africa.

DESIGN:

This was an unmatched case-control study carried out in public health antenatal clinics of King Sabata District Municipality between January and March 2014. The cases comprised 100 clients with recent HIV infection; the controls were 200 HIV-negative antenatal clients. Socio-demographic, sexual, and behavioral data were collected using interviewer-administered questionnaires adapted from the standard DHS5 women's questionnaire. Multivariate logistic regression models were used to identify the independent risk factors for HIV infection. A p<0.05 was considered statistically significant.

RESULTS:

The independent risk factors for incident HIV infection were economic dependence on the partner, having older male partners especially among women aged ≤20 years, and sex under the influence of alcohol.

CONCLUSIONS:

Therefore, effective prevention of HIV among antenatal mothers in KSDM must target the improvement of the economic status of women, thereby reducing economic dependence on their sexual partners; address the prevalent phenomenon of cross-generation sex among women aged <20 years; and regulate the brewing, marketing, and consumption of alcohol.

Below: Map showing the geographical location of King Sabata District Municipality, Eastern Cape, South Africa.

*Table 2*. Independent risk factors for HIV infection
Independent variables	B	SE	Chi-square Wald	OR	95% CI	p
Main source of economic support
Partner	2.770	0.406	46.530	16	7.2–35.4	<0.0001
Family/other			Reference	1
Engagement in sex under the influence of alcohol
Yes	3.048	0.508	36.004	21.1	7.8–57	<0.0001
No			Reference	1
Age of partner
≥25 years	3.096	0.495	39.142	22.1	8.4–58.3	<0.0001
<25 years			Reference	1
Constant	−5.502	0.671	67.165			<0.0001

Full article at: http://goo.gl/1jlzWI

By: Businge CB1, Longo-Mbenza B2, Mathews V3.

1Faculty of Health Sciences, Walter Sisulu University, Eastern Cape, South Africa.
2Faculty of Health Sciences, Walter Sisulu University, Eastern Cape, South Africa; longombenza@gmail.com.
3School of Public Health, University of Western Cape, Cape Town, South Africa.
Glob Health Action. 2016 Jan 20;9:29060. doi: 10.3402/gha.v9.29060. eCollection 2016.