Local Differences in Human Immunodeficiency Virus Prevalence: A Comparison of Social Venue Patrons, Antenatal Patients, and Sexually Transmitted Infection Patients in Eastern Kinshasa

Abstract

Background This study compares the sexual behavior and HIV prevalence of men and women at social venues where people meet new sexual partners in Eastern Kinshasa with the HIV prevalence and behavior of STI treatment and antenatal clinic patients in the same area. Methods ANC clinic patients, STI clinic patients and social venue patrons were interviewed, asked to provide a blood sample onsite, and provided information about obtaining test results. All social venue patrons at all identified social venues in the study area were invited to participate. Results 1,116 pregnant women; 66 male and 229 female STI clinic patients; and 952 male and 247 female patrons of social venues were interviewed and tested. HIV prevalence ranged by group: ANC patients (4%); female venue patrons (12%); female STI patients (16%); male venue patrons (2%); and male STI patients (23%). HIV prevalence among sexworkers at social venues (29%) was higher than the prevalence among other female patrons with new or multiple partnerships (19%) or among female patrons denying sexwork (6%). However, the absolute number of infected women was higher among women reporting recent new or multiple partnerships than the smaller group of sexworkers (23 vs 18). Two-thirds of the infected female STI patients (24/36) reported no more than one sexual partner in the past year. Conclusion Improving prevention programs in Kinshasa is essential. Prevention efforts should not neglect women at social venues who do not self-identify as sexworkers but have high rates of new sexual partnerships.

Heterogeneous and decreasing HIV prevalence among women seeking antenatal care in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo

“…5 In 2003, the prevalence was 4.1% among 1092 pregnant women tested for HIV at a single Kinshasa ANC clinic. 6 This clinic was also featured in another study, which reported that the prevalence among 2082 women presenting to two Kinshasa maternity units in 2004 was 1.9%. 7 The 2008 UNAIDS/WHO Epidemiological Fact Sheet on HIV and AIDS for the DRC states that prevalence ranged from 2.7 to 4.1% between 2002 and 2004 at one Kinshasa ANC site and between 3.2 and 4.3% at three other sites.…”

Influential factors and barriers to opt for the uptake of HIV testing among the adult population at HIV-care admission in an area in the DR Congo: What can we learn?

“…Furthermore, we noted in this present study a higher proportion of female patients than male. This phenomenon was observed in most other studies in DRC [5,[23][24][25][26][27], lack of adherence to preventive measures during sexual contact [28], and socio-cultural factors such as multiplicity of sexual partners and socioeconomic dependence of women in a context of poverty have been advocated for this [29][30][31][32].…”