HIV prevalence and ART use among men in partnerships with 15-29 year old women in South Africa: HIV risk implications for young women in age-disparate partnerships

Abstract

This study assesses whether men???s ART use mitigates HIV-risk within age-disparate partnerships. Using data from the 2012 South African National HIV survey, we analyzed differences in HIV prevalence and ART use between men in age-disparate and age-similar partnerships with young women aged 15???29 using multiple logistic regression analyses. Within partnerships involving women 15???24 years old, men in age-disparate partnerships were more likely to be HIV-positive year age-gap: aOR 2.2, 95%CI 1.0???4.6; p\0.05). Men in age-disparate partnerships who were 5???9 years older were significantly more likely to be HIV-positive and ART-na??ve (aOR 2.4, 95%CI 1.2???4.8; p\0.05), while this was not the case for men 10 plus years older (aOR 1.5, 95%CI 0.7???3.6; p = 0.32). No evidence was found that 25???29 year old women were at greater HIV-risk in age-disparate partnerships. Our results indicate that young women aged 15???24 have a greater likelihood of exposure to HIV through age-disparate partnerships, but ART use among men 10 plus years older could mitigate risk.