AEGiS-14IAC: National survey of STDs and HIV prevalence among residents in rural growth point villages in Zimbabwe.

14th International AIDS Conference

Barcelona, Spain - July 7-12, 2002

National survey of STDs and HIV prevalence among residents in rural growth point villages in Zimbabwe.

Int Conf AIDS 2002 Jul 7-12; 14:(abstract no. WeOrC1270)

Woelk GB, Kasprzyk D, Montano DE, Mutsindiri R, NIMH Collaborative HIV/STD Prevention Trial NI
Department of Community Medicine, Medical School, Universtiy of Zimbabwe, Harare, Zimbabwe

BACKGROUND: A comprehensive national survey of risk behaviors and STD/HIV was conducted in 32 rural Growth Point Villages in Zimbabwe as part of a cooperative international trial in 5 countries. The trial will use the Community Popular Opinion Leader Intervention to prevent STD/HIV. To establish risk prior to the Trial, a computer assisted interview (CAI) assessed the magnitude of behavioral risk. In addition, residents were assessed for gonorrhea (GC), chlamydia (CT), syphilis, trichomonasis (TV), bacterial vaginosis (BV), herpes simplex 2 (HSV2), and HIV.

METHODS: A trained team of nurses went to 32 villages and randomly selected 70 households in each, enumerated them for residents aged 16-30; randomly selected a respondent; gave informed consent; and administered a CAI to 50 respondents. Pre test counselling was conducted; blood, urine and self-administered vaginal swabs were collected. Biological samples were transported to the lab for analysis. Nurses assessed STD symptoms and treated syndromically. 3 weeks later nurses gave STD/HIV results to returning individuals, and treated lab diagnosed STDs.

RESULTS: 1601 individuals were assessed: 57% female, 43% male; 46% had primary educations with 53% secondary, 3% post-secondary. Female mean age was 23, and males 22. Rates of GC, CT and Syphilis were 2%, 1% and 2% respectively. TV was 15%; BV 20%. HSV2 was 44%, and HIV 26%. Across the 32 villages HIV rates ranged from 10% to 42%. Female rates were 19% to 55%; male rates 3% to 33%.

CONCLUSIONS: CT, GC and Syphilis rates were low, likely a result of access to treatment in rural villages. This indicates the success of Zimbabwe's national STD control program, which was implemented in the early '90s to treat STDs syndromically. Female HIV rates were more than twice male rates: Females had rates of 1 in 3; males 1 in 7. Interestingly, villages with highest female HIV rates were not the same as villages with highest male HIV rates.

Keywords: AEGIS, Prevalence, HIV Infections, HIV Seropositivity, Zimbabwe, Risk-Taking, Syphilis, Gonorrhea, Chlamydia Infections, Vaginosis, Bacterial, Human, Male, Female, epidemiology

020707
WeOrC1270