Sexual risk behaviour among hiv-infected women in the first twelve months after delivery in south africa

This study aimed to assess sexual risk behaviour and its social correlates in HIV-infected women living in rural South Africa at six and twelve months post-partum Participants were 699 HIV-positive women recruited prenatally by systematic sampling from twelve community health centres in Mpumalanga province, South Africa (mean age = 28 4 years, SD = 5 7; married =41 1%; serodiscordant or unknown partner status = 74 9%) They self-reported on their sexual activity six to twelve months after delivery; including use of condoms and partner involvement Generalised linear mixed models were utilised to estimate unsafe sex outcomes from a prevention of mother to child transmission (PMTCT) intervention, socio-demographic factors, disclosure, and male involvement About 20% of sexually active women in the past week had used condoms inconsistently at six and twelve months after delivery Moreover, 16% and 18% of the women had not used a condom at last sex and 11% and 13% had unprotected sex with HIV-uninfected or unknown-status partners following delivery at six and twelve months, respectively Higher inconsistent condom use was likely with lower male involvement Promotion of condom use post-partum, as well as male involvement in sexual decisions, are important for safer sex post-partum by seropositive women.