Prevalence and Factors Associated with Sharing of Human Immunodeficiency Seropositivity Status among Serodiscordant Couples in the City of Parakou (Benin)

Abstract

Introduction: In serodiscordant couples, sharing serostatus is a crucial step in the HIV risk management process. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and factors associated with serostatus sharing among HIV serodiscordant couples in the city of Parakou. Setting and methods: This study was carried out in the city of Parakou, capital of northern Benin. It was a descriptive, analytical cross-sectional study with non-probability sampling for convenience. Socio-demographic data, as well as data on antecedents, behaviours, social and marital life, were collected using a questionnaire gave to the participants. Clinical and therapeutic data were collected from patients' medical records and follow-up charts. Data were analyzed and processed using R 4.3.1 software. The significance level was set at 5%, and logistic regression was used to identify potential predictors of shared serostatus among serodiscordant couples in the city of Parakou in 2022. Results: A total of 299 participants in long-term serodiscordant relationships were included in our study. The average age of the subjects was 37.55 ± 10.25 years. Women were the infected partner in 80.27% of cases. The most common level of education was secondary (33.45%). Most respondents (230 subjects, 76.92%) were married.