Recently formed age-disparate partnerships are associated with elevated HIV-incidence among young women in South Africa.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

Cross-sectional and cohort studies draw different conclusions on whether age-disparate partnerships increase HIV-acquisition risk for young women. We investigated whether age-disparities were associated with HIV-infection risk early in relationships. This could result in the exclusion of women who seroconverted during high-risk age-disparate partnerships from cohort studies of HIV incidence - which exclude HIV-positive women - and explain null findings in these studies.

Design

Prospective cohort study.

Methods

We used data on 15-24-year-old, HIV-negative women in heterosexual partnerships (N = 830) in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. The association between age-disparate partnering (i.e., male partner ≥5 years older) and subsequent HIV seroconversion was assesse

SUBMITTER: Maughan-Brown B 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7473385 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature