BackgroundConcurrent sexual relationships facilitate the spread of HIV infection, and sex with non-primary partners may pose particularly high risks for HIV transmission to primary partners.ObjectiveWe examined the sexual and alcohol-related risks associated with sex partners outside of primary relationships among South African men and women in informal drinking establishments.MethodsMen (n=4959) and women (n=2367) with primary sex partners residing in a Xhosa-speaking South African township completed anonymous surveys. Logistic regressions tested associations between having outside partners and risks for sexually transmitted infections (STI)/HIV.ResultsForty-four percent of men and 26% women with primary sex partners reported also having outside sex partners in the previous month. Condom use with outside partners was inconsistent for men and women; only 19% of men and 12% of women used condoms consistently with outside sex partners. Multivariable regressions for men and women showed that having outside partners was significantly associated with having been diagnosed with an STI, consuming alcohol in greater frequency and quantity, alcohol use during sex, meeting sex partners in alcohol-serving venues, and higher rates of unprotected sex.ConclusionsHaving outside sex partners was associated with multiple risk factors for HIV infection among South African shebeen patrons. Social and structural interventions that encourage condom use are needed for men and women with outside partners who patronise alcohol-serving venues.
South Africa has the highest prevalence of HIV in the world. Because living with HIV is stressful and because alcohol consumption is often used to cope with stress, we examined whether stress mediates the association between HIV status and alcohol use among adults residing in South African townships. Field workers approached pedestrians or patrons of informal alcohol-serving venues (i.e., shebeens) and invited their participation in a survey. Of the 1,717 participants (98% Black, 34% women, mean age = 31), 82% were HIV-negative, 9% were HIV-positive, and 9% did not know their test result. Participants living with HIV reported greater perceived life stress compared to participants whose HIV status was negative or unknown. Perceived stress was associated with increased alcohol use (frequency of drinking days, frequency of intoxication, and frequency of drinking in shebeens/taverns). Subsequent analyses showed that stress mediated the association between HIV status and alcohol use. These findings indicate that greater frequency of drinking days, perceived intoxication, and drinking at shebeens was associated with elevated stress levels among participants who were HIV-positive. Perceived life stress mediates the association between HIV status and alcohol use. Programs to enhance stress management among HIV-positive South Africans may help to reduce alcohol consumption which may, in turn, lead to reduced rates of HIV transmission.
Outpatient therapists provided ratings of clients' alcohol and drug use that corresponded well with substance use data obtained from an extensive research battery. The study results support use of clinician rating scales as a screening tool for identifying problematic alcohol and other drug use among psychiatric outpatients.
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