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Two-Year Follow-Up of Sexual Behavior Among HIV-Uninfected Household Members of Adults Taking Antiretroviral Therapy in Uganda: No Evidence of Disinhibition

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Abstract

This paper examines HIV risk behavior among HIV-uninfected adults living with people taking antiretroviral therapy (ART) in Uganda. A prospective cohort of 455 HIV-uninfected non-spousal household members of ART patients receiving home-based AIDS care was enrolled. Sexual behavior, HIV risk perceptions, AIDS-related anxiety, and the perception that AIDS is curable were assessed at baseline, 6, 12 and 24 months. Generalized linear mixture models were used to model risk behavior over time and to identify behavioral correlates. Overall, risky sex decreased from 29% at baseline to 15% at 24-months. Among women, risky sex decreased from 31% at baseline to 10% at 6 months and 15% at 24 months. Among men, risky sex decreased from 30% at baseline to 8% at 6 months and 13% at 24 months. Perceiving HIV/AIDS as curable and lower AIDS-related anxiety were independently associated with risky sex. No evidence of behavioral disinhibition was observed. Concerns regarding behavioral disinhibition should not slow down efforts to increase ART access in Africa.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank the counselors, field officers, clinical staff and the study participants for their time and commitment. We would also like to acknowledge the support of the Ugandan Ministry of Health and The AIDS Support Organization. Furthermore, the authors thank Dr. George Rutherford for his comments on this manuscript and Theopista Wamala for her assistance with the references.

Sponsorship

The Home-Based AIDS Care (HBAC) project is funded by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) through the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) and the US Department of Health and Human Services.

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The findings and conclusions in this paper are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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Correspondence to Stevens Bechange.

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Bechange, S., Bunnell, R., Awor, A. et al. Two-Year Follow-Up of Sexual Behavior Among HIV-Uninfected Household Members of Adults Taking Antiretroviral Therapy in Uganda: No Evidence of Disinhibition. AIDS Behav 14, 816–823 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10461-008-9481-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10461-008-9481-2

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