AEGiS-14IAC: A Study of couples attending the HIV clinic at LTMG Hospital, Mumbai.

14th International AIDS Conference

Barcelona, Spain - July 7-12, 2002

A Study of couples attending the HIV clinic at LTMG Hospital, Mumbai.

Int Conf AIDS 2002 Jul 7-12; 14:(abstract no. C10666)

Dhurat R, Jerajani HR, Setia M, Shinde S, Dethe G
LTMM College and LTMG Hospital, Mumbai, India

OBJECTIVES: We evaluated 47 concordant HIV positive couples attending the Dermatology and STI clinic at our hospital for the behavioral and clinical parameters at he time of parameters.

METHODOLOGY: A detailed history, clinical examination was done and patients were investigated and treated for presenting complaints. They were followed up whenever they had any clinical complaints.

RESULTS: Out of the 47 couples evaluated, 39 males were the index case as compared to 8 women being the index case. The mean time difference between the partner detection was less than a week when the husband was the index case and it was 6 weeks when the wife was the index case. The mean age of the husbands was 32 years and the mean age of the wives was 27 years. 70% of the couples belonged to a low socioeconomic background. 60% of the women were housewives and the husbands were the only source of income. 50% of the men and 85% of the women had not completed schooling. 15% of the men and 20% of the women were illiterate. 37% of the men and 29% of the women gave a past history of genital ulcer disease. 51% of the men and 65% of the women had never suffered from an STI in the past. 6/47 (13%) of the men and 3/47 (6%) of the women were VDRL positive.

CONCLUSIONS: In our study the men presented with more opportunist infections as compared to women. The majority of the patients were of low social economic background and since the men are the bread earners of the family, treating HIV infected couples presents many social issues. [table: see text]

Keywords: AEGIS, HIV Infections, HIV Seropositivity, Spouses, Human, Female, Male

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