14th International AIDS Conference Barcelona, Spain — July 7-12, 2002

Int Conf AIDS. 2002 Jul 7-12;14:Abstract No. MoOrC1015

BACKGROUND: As HIV infection continues to rise especially in sub-Saharan Africa, elaboration of HIV prevalence and associated risk factors in similar study populations, could help elucidate factors which determine the rate and extent of spread of HIV. Such information is necessary in developing cohesive preventive strategies for the region. This study compares differences in HIV prevalence, sexually transmitted infections (STI) and sexual behaviour among urban women in two African countries.

METHODS: Consenting women, 393 in Harare, Zimbabwe and 392 in Moshi, Tanzania, attending primary health care clinics for antenatal care, family planning or those bringing their children to attend the under-fives clinic were enrolled into a multicentre cross-sectional study. The women were interviewed, examined and tested for STI/HIV. Multivariate analysis using SPSS and STATA was performed.

RESULTS: Although the prevalence of HIV in the two countries was significantly different, 29.3% in Zimbabwe and 11.5% in Tanzania the prevalence of STIs, the socio-demographic distribution, and sexual behaviour patterns of the women and their partners were similar. However, Zimbabwean women were significantly more educated (p=<0.01)and reported more lifetime sexual partners (p=<0.01) than Tanzanian women. In both countries clinically diagnosed genital warts, HSV-2 seropositivity, reports of having experienced infant mortality and having had more than one lifetime sexual partners were associated with HIV seropositivity. Syphilis seroprevalence was low in both populations 3.9% in Zimbabwe and 4.2% in Tanzania.

CONCLUSIONS: STI prevalence in the two populations, failed to explain the high HIV prevalence in Zimbabwe compared to Tanzania. Although we lacked data on the epidemiology of STIs among the male partners of the women investigated our results suggest that research and interventions targeted at reducing HSV-2 and genital warts are urgently needed.

Presenting author: Elizabeth Mbizvo

1Zimbabwe AIDS Prevention Program, Zimbabwe AIDS Prevention Project, 103-105 Rotten Row, Harare, Zimbabwe.

2Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Centre, Moshi, Tanzania.

3University of Zimbabwe, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Harare, Zimbabwe.

4Reproductive Health Department, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland.

5The National Hospital, Deparment of Epidemiology, Oslo, Norway.

6The National Hospital, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Oslo, Norway.

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