Skip to main content
. 2025 Jan 24;12:1376235. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1376235

Table 2.

Background characteristics of study participants and HIV status by various background characteristics among reproductive-age women in Africa.

Variable Category Weighted frequency HIV status
Negative no (%) Positive no (%)
Women’s age Mean ± SD 28.5 ± 9.45
Women’s age at first delivery Mean ± SD 19.3 ± 3.88
Women’s age at first sexual intercourse Mean ± SD 13.6 ± 7.17
Head of household Mean ± SD 44.6 ± 14.28
Maternal age 15–19 61,994 (21.1) 59,322 (95.7) 2,672 (4.3)
20–24 54,561 (18.6) 52,104 (95.5) 2,457 (4.5)
25–29 51,706 (17.6) 49,536 (95.8) 2,170 (4.2)
30–34 42,683 (14.5) 40,929 (95.9) 1754 (4.1)
35–39 35,398 (20.1) 33,821 (95.6) 1,576 (4.4)
40–44 26,365 (8.9) 25,207 (95.6) 1,158 (4.4)
45–49 21,067 (7.2) 20,100 (95.4) 966 (4.6)
Age at first sexual intercourse Did not have sex 45,014 (15.3) 43,309 (80.2) 1705 (19.8)
<15 yrs 141 (0.05) 125 (88.7) 16 (11.3)
>15 66,741 (22.7) 63,731 (95.5) 3,010 (4.5)
Did not remember 181,876 (61.9) 173,854 (95.6) 8,022 (4.4)
Total number of children delivered 0 80,519 (27.4) 77,138 (95.8) 3,381 (4.2)
1–3 115,781 (39.4) 109,822 (94.9) 5,959 (5.1)
>3 (mean) 97,472 (33.2) 94,060 (96.5) 3,412 (3.5)
Maternal education Illiterate 98,366 (31.5) 96,374 (98.0) 1991 (2.0)
Primary 86,453 (29.4) 82,038 (94.9) 4,415 (5.1)
Secondary 95,649 (32.6) 90,048 (94.1) 5,602 (5.9)
Higher 13,305 (4.5) 12,560 (94.4) 745 (5.6)
Ever tested for HIV No 138,700 (47.3) 134,994 (97.3) 3,706 (2.7)
Yes 154,572 (52.7) 145,538 (94.2) 9,034 (5.8)
MSP No 133,317 (53.6) 128,689 (96.5) 4,628 (3.5)
Yes 115,277 (46.4) 108,870 (94.4) 6,407 (5.6)
Sex of head of household Male 210,333 (71.6) 202,186 (96.1) 8,147 (3.9)
Female 83,440 (28.4) 78,834 (94.5) 4,606 (5.5)
Currently pregnant No 268,462 (91.4) 256,669 (95.6) 11,793 (4.4)
Yes 25,311 (8.6) 24,351 (96.2) 960 (3.8)
Heard about HIV No 15,691 (5.5) 15,252 (97.2) 439 (2.8)
Yes 267,107 (94.5) 255,058 (95.5) 12,049 (4.5)
Marital status Not formerly in a union 85,926 (29.2) 81,611 (95.0) 4,315 (5.0)
In a union 207,847 (70.8) 199,409 (95.9) 8,438 (4.1)
Wealth index Poorest 51,895 (17.7) 49,724 (95.8) 2,171 (4.2)
Poorer 54,208 (18.5) 51,847 (95.6) 2,361 (4.4)
Middle 56,640 (19.3) 54,203 (95.7) 2,437 (4.3)
Richer 61,920 (21.0) 59,071 (95.4) 2,849 (4.6)
Richest 69,110 (23.5) 66,174 (95.8) 2,936 (4.2)
Residence Urban 118,633 (40.4) 112,991 (95.2) 5,642 (4.8)
Rural 175,140 (59.6) 168,029 (95.9) 7,111 (4.1)
Media exposure Exposed 92,308 (31.4) 88,794 (96.2) 3,514 (3.8)
Not exposed 201,465 (68.6) 192,226 (95.4) 9,239 (4.6)
Occupation Unemployed 128,564 (43.8) 122,047 (94.9) 6,517 (5.1)
Employed 165,209 (56.2) 158,973 (96.2) 6,236 (3.8)
Ever heard of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) No 13,462 (4.8) 13,101 (97.3) 362 (2.7)
Yes 269,319 (95.2) 257,193 (95.5) 12,126 (4.5)