Sexual behaviours of HIV positive adults receiving HAART in Botswana: a cross sectional study

OBJECTIVE: This paper aims to assess the sexual behaviour of HIV positive adult men and women on HAART in Botswana. METHODS: Data derived from the Botswana AIDS Impact Survey IV (BAIS IV-2013) was used. A sample of 1065 HIV positive men and women in age range of 20–49 years were considered for analysis. RESULTS: From the sample of a total of 1065 HIV positive adults only 22% (238) were on HAART. About 2% of respondents in the total sample were involved in transactional sex, 9% reported that they had multiple sexual partners in the past 12 months, 6% reported that they were once involved in inter-generational sexual relationships. Meanwhile, for respondents on HAART, 8% reported multiple sexual partners in the past 12 months, while 5% had been involved in inter-generational sex, about 2% had been involved in transactional sex and 13% had not used condoms consistently. Logistic regression results indicated non-significant association between being on HAART and sexual risk behaviours. CONCLUSION: Contrary to anecdotal reports that availability of HAART is associated with sexual risky sexual behaviours, our results indicate non-significant statistical association between being on HAART and risky sexual behaviours. Current HAART education programs in Botswana have to be maintained to avoid risky sexual behaviours associated with HAART availability as in other contexts.