Table 1.
Demographic, behavioural characteristics and beliefs among study participants by gender
| Characteristics | Female (n=255) | Male (n=220) | P value* | ||
| n | (%) | n | (%) | ||
| Age (years, mean±SD) | 32.1±6.36 | 37.40±5.19 | <0.001 | ||
| Martial status | 0.087 | ||||
| Married/committed relationship | 249 | (97.6) | 219 | (99.6) | |
| Single/dating | 6 | (2.4) | 1 | (0.4) | |
| Education | 0.011 | ||||
| Some secondary or less | 219 | (85.9) | 169 | (76.8) | |
| Completed secondary or more | 36 | (14.1) | 51 | (23.2) | |
| Religion | 0.264 | ||||
| Catholic | 50 | (19.7) | 47 | (21.5) | |
| Protestant | 186 | (73.2) | 152 | (69.4) | |
| Muslim | 18 | (7.1) | 17 | (7.8) | |
| Other/no religion | 0 | (0) | 3 | (1.4) | |
| Years since diagnosis (mean±SD) | 4.64+3.45 | 4.62±4.14 | 0.949 | ||
| Use of alcohol or drugs before/during sex in last month | <0.001 | ||||
| No | 229 | (92.3) | 161 | (73.2) | |
| Yes | 19 | (7.7) | 59 | (26.8) | |
| Most recent sexual partner HIV-positive | 0.004 | ||||
| No | 47 | (18.5) | 40 | (18.2) | |
| Yes | 163 | (64.2) | 164 | (74.6) | |
| Do not know | 44 | (17.3) | 16 | (7.3) | |
| Most recent sexual partner has sex with other people | <0.001 | ||||
| No | 81 | (31.8) | 141 | (64.4) | |
| Yes | 101 | (39.6) | 30 | (13.7) | |
| Do not know | 73 | (28.6) | 48 | (21.9) | |
| Sexual frequency in last month | 0.658 | ||||
| ≤weekly | 120 | (47.1) | 108 | (49.1) | |
| >1x/week | 135 | (52.9) | 112 | (50.9) | |
| Sexual partners in past month (n) | 0.073 | ||||
| 1 | 248 | (97.2) | 208 | (94.6) | |
| 2–4 | 4 | (1.6) | 11 | (5.0) | |
| >5 | 3 | (1.2) | 1 | (0.4) | |
| Children (n) | 0.006 | ||||
| 0 | 14 | (5.5) | 6 | (2.7) | |
| 1–2 | 123 | (48.2) | 81 | (36.8) | |
| >3 | 118 | (46.3) | 133 | (60.5) | |
| Desire more children in the future | 0.010 | ||||
| No | 160 | (62.8) | 161 | (73.9) | |
| Yes | 95 | (37.2) | 57 | (26.1) | |
| Contraceptive use at last intercourse (IUD, implant, DMPA, pills, sterilisation, not including condom) | 0.202 | ||||
| No | 140 | (55.6) | 135 | (61.4) | |
| Yes | 112 | (44.4) | 85 | (38.6) | |
| Currently using ART | 0.846 | ||||
| No | 29 | (11.4) | 26 | (11.8) | |
| Yes, <2 years | 86 | (33.7) | 79 | (35.9) | |
| Yes, >2 years | 140 | (54.9) | 115 | (52.3) | |
| Believe HIV medications effect transmission risk to partner | 0.577 | ||||
| Increases risk or no change | 166 | (65.6) | 149 | (68.0) | |
| Decreases risk | 87 | (34.4) | 70 | (32.0) | |
| Believe condoms are effective at preventing pregnancy | 0.487 | ||||
| No | 28 | (11.0) | 20 | (9.1) | |
| Yes | 226 | (89.0) | 200 | (90.0) | |
| Believe condoms prevent HIV transmission to partner | 0.057 | ||||
| No | 41 | (16.7) | 50 | (23.8) | |
| Yes | 205 | (83.3) | 160 | (76.2) | |
| Believe one needs to use a condom if using also birth control method | 0.064 | ||||
| No | 69 | (27.3) | 44 | (20.0) | |
| Yes | 184 | (72.7) | 176 | (80.0) | |
| Can refuse sex if partner did not want to use a condom | <0.001 | ||||
| No | 127 | (50.6) | 64 | (29.4) | |
| Yes | 124 | (49.4) | 154 | (70.6) | |
| Decision-making about using condom use | 0.117 | ||||
| I do (did) | 131 | (54.4) | 93 | (45.2) | |
| My partner does (did) | 35 | (14.5) | 31 | (15.0) | |
| We both do (did) equally | 75 | (31.1) | 82 | (39.8) | |
| Consistent condom use in past month | 0.004 | ||||
| No | 157 | (61.8) | 107 | (48.6) | |
| Yes | 97 | (38.2) | 113 | (51.4) | |
| Condom use at last intercourse | 0.002 | ||||
| No | 113 | (44.7) | 67 | (30.7) | |
| Yes | 140 | (55.3) | 151 | (69.3) | |
*P value by t-test for continuous variables and Pearson chi-square or Fisher exact test for categorical variables.
ART, antiretroviral therapy; DMPA, depot medroxprogesterone acetate; IUD, intrauterine device.