Adele Munsami
Centre for the AIDS Programme of Research in South Africa, South Africa
Title: Condom use following ART initiation in TB-HIV co-infected patients
Biography
Biography: Adele Munsami
Abstract
Consistent condom use is protective against HIV transmission. Despite this, consistent condom use among HIV infected patients remains suboptimal. In a secondary analysis of SAPiT trial data, we assessed the impact of ART initiation and knowledge of HIV status on condom use over time (condom use behaviour reported during interviews conducted 6 monthly over 24 months) and consistent condom use (condom use reported at last sex act at all 6 monthly interviews conducted at 6-24 months). Among N=642 patients enrolled, 45.8% (294/642 were previously known HIV positive, 50.5% (324/642) tested HIV positive recently, and 3.7% (24/642) had missing data. At baseline, 59.2% (174/294) of patients with previous pre-trial knowledge of their HIV status (previously known HIV positive) and 46.3% (150/324) of patients that tested positive at study entry (recently known positive) reported condom use at last sex act, respectively (p = 0.002). At 6, 12, 18 and 24 months follow-up 78.3% (173/221), 83.5% (172/206), 81.4% (162/199), 83.5% (167/200) in the previously known positive, (p < 0.001), and 81.3% (174/214), 85% (170/200), 84.6% (165/195), 86% (160/186) in recently known positive (p < 0.001) patients reported condom use at last sex act, respectively. Reports of consistent condom use in previously known positive vs. recently known positive patients was 41.8% (123/294) and 36.7% (119/324) (p = 0.216), respectively. Despite an increase in condom use following study initiation, levels of use achieved, remains suboptimal for effective HIV prevention from known HIV infected individuals. These findings have implications for targeted HIV prevention messaging within ART-treatment-programmes.