PREVALENCE AND GENDER EFFECT ON SEXUAL RISK BEHAVIOR AMONG HETEROSEXUAL PEOPLE LIVING WITH HIV/AIDS IN DAVANGERE, KARNATAKA

Background: In developing country like India, increased access to anti-retroviral therapy for people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) has extended life span and reduced morbidity and mortality and also enabled several of them to resume their sexual activity. Our study aims to know the prevalence and predictors of sexual risk behaviour among heterosexual PLWHA attending HIV clinic at a tertiary care teaching hospital. Methods: It was a cross-sectional study, conducted among 103 PLWHA [52 women and 51men] attending HIV clinic at a tertiary care teaching hospital, after getting informed written consent. Results: Among 103 study participants 64 (62%) were alcoholics and majority (65%) of them showed sexual risk behaviour. 55% of males and 69% of females had disclosed the HIV status to their partners. 47% engaged in sexual risk activity with the partners, it was more among males [56.9%]. Significant association was found between sexual risk behaviour and those engaging in multiple sexual partner (p = 0.01), unmarried (p = 0.001) and frequency of condom use among multiple sexual partners (p = 0.03). Conclusions: The study revealed 62% PLWHA disclosed their HIV status to their partners and prevalence of sexual risk behaviour was found to be 47% and it was more among males.