Cargando…

Role of widows in the heterosexual transmission of HIV in Manicaland, Zimbabwe, 1998–2003

BACKGROUND: AIDS is the main driver of young widowhood in southern Africa. METHODS: The demographic characteristics of widows, their reported risk behaviours and the prevalence of HIV were examined by analysing a longitudinal population-based cohort of men and women aged 15–54 years in Manicaland, e...

Descripción completa

Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores principales: Lopman, B A, Nyamukapa, C, Hallett, T B, Mushati, P, Preez, N Spark-du, Kurwa, F, Wambe, M, Gregson, S
Formato: Texto
Lenguaje:English
Publicado: BMJ Publishing Group 2009
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2654148/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19307340
http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/sti.2008.033043
_version_ 1782165342888394752
author Lopman, B A
Nyamukapa, C
Hallett, T B
Mushati, P
Preez, N Spark-du
Kurwa, F
Wambe, M
Gregson, S
author_facet Lopman, B A
Nyamukapa, C
Hallett, T B
Mushati, P
Preez, N Spark-du
Kurwa, F
Wambe, M
Gregson, S
author_sort Lopman, B A
collection PubMed
description BACKGROUND: AIDS is the main driver of young widowhood in southern Africa. METHODS: The demographic characteristics of widows, their reported risk behaviours and the prevalence of HIV were examined by analysing a longitudinal population-based cohort of men and women aged 15–54 years in Manicaland, eastern Zimbabwe. The results from statistical analyses were used to construct a mathematical simulation model with the aim of estimating the contribution of widow behaviour to heterosexual HIV transmission. RESULTS: 413 (11.4%) sexually experienced women and 31 (1.2%) sexually experienced men were reported to be widowed at the time of follow-up. The prevalence of HIV was exceptionally high among both widows (61%) and widowers (male widows) (54%). Widows were more likely to have high rates of partner change and engage in a pattern of transactional sex than married women. Widowers took partners who were a median of 10 years younger than themselves. Mathematical model simulations of different scenarios of sexual behaviour of widows suggested that the sexual activity of widow(er)s may underlie 8–17% of new HIV infections over a 20-year period. CONCLUSIONS: This combined statistical analysis and model simulation suggest that widowhood plays an important role in the transmission of HIV in this rural Zimbabwean population. High-risk partnerships may be formed when widowed men and women reconnect to the sexual network.
format Text
id pubmed-2654148
institution National Center for Biotechnology Information
language English
publishDate 2009
publisher BMJ Publishing Group
record_format MEDLINE/PubMed
spelling pubmed-26541482009-07-02 Role of widows in the heterosexual transmission of HIV in Manicaland, Zimbabwe, 1998–2003 Lopman, B A Nyamukapa, C Hallett, T B Mushati, P Preez, N Spark-du Kurwa, F Wambe, M Gregson, S Sex Transm Infect Supplement BACKGROUND: AIDS is the main driver of young widowhood in southern Africa. METHODS: The demographic characteristics of widows, their reported risk behaviours and the prevalence of HIV were examined by analysing a longitudinal population-based cohort of men and women aged 15–54 years in Manicaland, eastern Zimbabwe. The results from statistical analyses were used to construct a mathematical simulation model with the aim of estimating the contribution of widow behaviour to heterosexual HIV transmission. RESULTS: 413 (11.4%) sexually experienced women and 31 (1.2%) sexually experienced men were reported to be widowed at the time of follow-up. The prevalence of HIV was exceptionally high among both widows (61%) and widowers (male widows) (54%). Widows were more likely to have high rates of partner change and engage in a pattern of transactional sex than married women. Widowers took partners who were a median of 10 years younger than themselves. Mathematical model simulations of different scenarios of sexual behaviour of widows suggested that the sexual activity of widow(er)s may underlie 8–17% of new HIV infections over a 20-year period. CONCLUSIONS: This combined statistical analysis and model simulation suggest that widowhood plays an important role in the transmission of HIV in this rural Zimbabwean population. High-risk partnerships may be formed when widowed men and women reconnect to the sexual network. BMJ Publishing Group 2009-04 2009-03-13 /pmc/articles/PMC2654148/ /pubmed/19307340 http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/sti.2008.033043 Text en © Lopman et al 2009 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/ This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-commercial License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
spellingShingle Supplement
Lopman, B A
Nyamukapa, C
Hallett, T B
Mushati, P
Preez, N Spark-du
Kurwa, F
Wambe, M
Gregson, S
Role of widows in the heterosexual transmission of HIV in Manicaland, Zimbabwe, 1998–2003
title Role of widows in the heterosexual transmission of HIV in Manicaland, Zimbabwe, 1998–2003
title_full Role of widows in the heterosexual transmission of HIV in Manicaland, Zimbabwe, 1998–2003
title_fullStr Role of widows in the heterosexual transmission of HIV in Manicaland, Zimbabwe, 1998–2003
title_full_unstemmed Role of widows in the heterosexual transmission of HIV in Manicaland, Zimbabwe, 1998–2003
title_short Role of widows in the heterosexual transmission of HIV in Manicaland, Zimbabwe, 1998–2003
title_sort role of widows in the heterosexual transmission of hiv in manicaland, zimbabwe, 1998–2003
topic Supplement
url https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2654148/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19307340
http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/sti.2008.033043
work_keys_str_mv AT lopmanba roleofwidowsintheheterosexualtransmissionofhivinmanicalandzimbabwe19982003
AT nyamukapac roleofwidowsintheheterosexualtransmissionofhivinmanicalandzimbabwe19982003
AT halletttb roleofwidowsintheheterosexualtransmissionofhivinmanicalandzimbabwe19982003
AT mushatip roleofwidowsintheheterosexualtransmissionofhivinmanicalandzimbabwe19982003
AT preeznsparkdu roleofwidowsintheheterosexualtransmissionofhivinmanicalandzimbabwe19982003
AT kurwaf roleofwidowsintheheterosexualtransmissionofhivinmanicalandzimbabwe19982003
AT wambem roleofwidowsintheheterosexualtransmissionofhivinmanicalandzimbabwe19982003
AT gregsons roleofwidowsintheheterosexualtransmissionofhivinmanicalandzimbabwe19982003