Prevalence of HIV/AIDS Infection among Sexually Active Women in Ethiopia: Further Analysis of 2016 EDHS

Abstract

Background. The issue of HIV/AIDS is prevalent around the world and in Ethiopia as well. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and risk factors of HIV/AIDS infection among sexually active women in Ethiopia. Methods. For this study, data were obtained from the Ethiopia Demographic and Health Survey conducted in 2016. This study contains 11,729 women who have had at least one episode of sexual intercourse in their lifetime. Interviewers for voluntary HIV testing collected finger-prick blood specimens from women who agreed to be tested for HIV. Based on factors at the individual and community levels, a multilevel logistic regression model was used. Results. The study found that 2% of 11,729 sexually active women tested positive for HIV from all regions who received voluntary counseling and testing. The intraclass correlation coefficient findings showed that 32.844% of HIV/AIDS transmission among sexually active women was the result of community-level factors. Variables at the individual level were women of age 16–24 (AOR = 0.18; 95% CI: 0.11–0.29), women of age 25–34 (AOR = 0.733; 95% CI: 0.55–0.98), women with primary education level (AOR = 1.8; 95% CI: 1.23–2.57), more than one sexual accomplice (AOR = 1.33; 95% CI: 0.613–2.87), and women’s age at first sexual intercourse between 25 and 34 (AOR = 0.57, 95% CI: 0.301, 1.06); these were the most significant determinants of HIV/AIDS infection. According to community-level factors, there was a lower HIV prevalence rate among rural women (AOR = 0.22; 95 percent CI: 0.13–0.36), and women in the Gambela region (AOR = 4.1; 95 percent CI: 1.99–8.34) also had higher HIV prevalence rates. Conclusions. The prevalence of HIV infection among sexually active women varies by region, with urban women more likely to contract the virus. Women who had more than one regular sexual partner and had their first sexual encounter at a younger age are at an increased risk of contracting HIV/AIDS. According to the study, the government should focus more support on high-risk clusters, mainly in urban areas, as well as on regions with high rates of HIV/AIDS infection.

Predicting the individualized risk of human immunodeficiency virus infection among sexually active women in Ethiopia using a nomogram: prediction model development and validation

“…Having multiple sexual partners in life increases the odds of HIV infection. This is consistent with findings from other studies ( 17 , 18 ). Sexually active women residing in urban areas had higher odds of HIV infection compared to sexually active women living in rural areas.…”

“…Those with primary and secondary education had higher odds of HIV infection as compared to women who had no education. Previous studies have found that better levels of education are related to an increased risk of HIV infection due to the fact that more educated women are more likely to be mobile and have more sexual partner networks ( 17 ). Being widowed, divorced, or separated was found to be significantly associated with higher odds of HIV infection.…”

“…According to the studies conducted in different countries across Africa, several factors were found to be significantly associated with HIV, infection including age ( 16–18 ), marital status ( 16 , 18 , 19 ), educational attainment ( 17 ), wealth index ( 20 ), sex of the household head ( 21 ), residence ( 17 , 18 ), region ( 17 ), number of sexual partners ( 17 , 18 ), age at first sex ( 22 ), and sexually transmitted infections ( 19 ). However, none of these studies apply predictive modeling techniques to assess which combination of variables best predicts HIV infection risk.…”

Magnitude of intestinal parasitic infections and its determinants among HIV/AIDS patients attending at antiretroviral treatment centers in East and West Gojam Zones, Northwest, Ethiopia: institution based cross-sectional study

“…The higher rates of HIV/AIDS in urban areas due to factors such as increased mobility, higher population density, and greater access to healthcare services, and the global HIV/ AIDS epidemiology reported that young adults are often at higher risk of HIV infection due to behavioral factors, including engaging in risky sexual behaviors and substance abuse. Low educational attainment is often associated with limited health literacy, which can hinder individuals' ability to understand and adopt preventive measures against parasitic infections (18)(19)(20)(21)(22)(23).…”

Prevalence of risk factors for human immunodeficiency virus among sexually active women in Rwanda: a nationwide survey

“…The study ndings are consistent with studies in Sierra Leone [20] and China [33] which reported that women in urban areas had a greater association with HIV infection risk factors. This may be because women in urban areas are exposed to a high population density with risky populations like long-distance truck drivers inclusive hence a high likelihood of indulging in risky sexual behaviour [34,41]. Moreover, region was also found to be associated with risk factors for HIV, where the western region compared to Kigali had lower odds of facing HIV risk factors.…”