HHS Public Access Author manuscript Author Manuscript
AIDS Behav. Author manuscript; available in PMC 2017 April 01. Published in final edited form as: AIDS Behav. 2016 April ; 20(4): 710–716. doi:10.1007/s10461-015-1125-8.
Antiretroviral treatment and sexual risk behavior in South Africa Kathryn Risher1, Thomas Rehle2,3, Leickness Simbayi2,4, Olive Shisana2,4, and David D. Celentano1 1Department
of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore,
USA
Author Manuscript
2Human
Sciences Research Council, Cape Town, South Africa
3School
of Public Health and Family Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South
Africa 4Department
of Psychiatry and Mental Health, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
Abstract
Author Manuscript
The sexual behavior of individuals living with HIV determines the onward transmission of HIV. With the understanding that antiretroviral therapy (ART) prevents transmission of HIV, the sexual behaviors of the individuals not on ART with unsuppressed viral loads becomes of the greatest importance in elucidating transmission. We assessed the association between being on ART and sexual risk behavior among those living with HIV in a nationally representative population-based cross-sectional survey of households in South Africa that was conducted in 2012. Of 2,237 adults (aged 15–49) who tested HIV-seropositive, 667 (29.8%) had detectable antiretroviral drugs in their blood specimens. Among males, 77.7% of those on ART reported having had sex in the past year contrasted with 88.4% of those not on ART (p=0.001); among females, 72.2% of those on ART reported having had sex in the past year while 80.3% of those not on ART did (p
AIDS Behav. Author manuscript; available in PMC 2017 April 01. Published in final edited form as: AIDS Behav. 2016 April ; 20(4): 710–716. doi:10.1007/s10461-015-1125-8.
Antiretroviral treatment and sexual risk behavior in South Africa Kathryn Risher1, Thomas Rehle2,3, Leickness Simbayi2,4, Olive Shisana2,4, and David D. Celentano1 1Department
of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore,
USA
Author Manuscript
2Human
Sciences Research Council, Cape Town, South Africa
3School
of Public Health and Family Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South
Africa 4Department
of Psychiatry and Mental Health, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
Abstract
Author Manuscript
The sexual behavior of individuals living with HIV determines the onward transmission of HIV. With the understanding that antiretroviral therapy (ART) prevents transmission of HIV, the sexual behaviors of the individuals not on ART with unsuppressed viral loads becomes of the greatest importance in elucidating transmission. We assessed the association between being on ART and sexual risk behavior among those living with HIV in a nationally representative population-based cross-sectional survey of households in South Africa that was conducted in 2012. Of 2,237 adults (aged 15–49) who tested HIV-seropositive, 667 (29.8%) had detectable antiretroviral drugs in their blood specimens. Among males, 77.7% of those on ART reported having had sex in the past year contrasted with 88.4% of those not on ART (p=0.001); among females, 72.2% of those on ART reported having had sex in the past year while 80.3% of those not on ART did (p
