Rate of HIV Seroconversion Among Seronegative Male Partners Living with HIV Positive Women in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 2019: A Retrospective Cohort Study

Abstract

Objective This study aimed to assess rate of HIV seroconversion and predictors among seronegative male partners living with HIV-positive women in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 2019. Methods Institutional-based retrospective cohort was used to conduct the study. All eligible 227 sample medical records were used for the study. Kaplan–Meier analysis was used to estimate seroconversion time. Cox proportional-hazard regression was used to identify predictor variables. Results In this study, 227 seronegative male partners living with HIV-positive women were followed for 60 months retrospectively and 38 (16.7%) seroconversion was observed. The overall seroconversion rate was 6.4 (95%CI: 4.64–8.76) per 100 person-year observation. Time of antiretroviral therapy (ART) initiation, CD4 level, condom use, and having history of pregnancy after being diagnosed as discordant were identified significant predictors of seroconversion. Conclusion The risk of HIV transmission from seropositive partner to seronegative partner in a discordant couple is poorly controlled. Seronegative partners in discordant a couple can be seropositive at any time with influence of predictors unless proper protective measures, counseling, and follow-up are given emphasis.

Prevalence of HIV seropositive status and associated factors among family members of index cases of antiretroviral clinical attendants in Sodo Town, Southern Ethiopia

“…This finding revealed that those spousal partners whose index cases started ART immediately as on meeting the eligibility criteria criteria were 83% less likely to be seropositive than those whose index partners didn’t start immediately. This finding is consistent with the findings of a study conducted in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia [ 22 ]. This might be because ART initiation based on the eligibility criteria could lead to increase in index case CD4 count and VL suppression that decreases HIV transmission to spousal partners This study showed that spousal partners whose index cases who were at WHO clinical stage III or IV at enrollment were 7.25 times more likely to be seropositive than spousal partners whose index cases who were WHO clinical stage I or II.…”

Serodiscordance predictors among couples in the HIV context: implications for health care

“…Our findings show a high prevalence (72.0%) of PLHIV in a relationship with HIV seronegative/unknown partners, similar to other studies that described representative rates of PLHIV in sexual serodifferent relationships worldwide [2,3,8,19,20].…”

“…These combined prevention strategies make it possible to expand risk management among couples living in the HIV context. The diversity of strategies allows greater freedom of choice for the best preventive methods and benefits different marital arrangements considering HIV serodiscordant couples [7,8]. Therefore, counseling and guidance about sexual HIV prevention for serodiscordant couples is indispensable overall [4,7].…”

Linear and non-linear analysis of heart rate variability in HIV-positive patients on two different antiretroviral therapy regimens

“…Bantigen & Cols. (2021), demonstrated a reduction in the transmission of infection between serodiscordant partners can be up to 95% while using Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) as a Bridge to ART strategy [ 43 ]. However, ART therapy has transformed HIV infection to a chronic disease, with autonomic dysfunction, as previously described, which is associated with cardiac impairment, especially in low CD4 counts [ 6 , 21 , 45 , 54 ].…”

“…Thus, cardiac autonomic function has been studied through computerized analysis of heart rate variability (HRV) in the time- and frequency- domains. This method is a non-invasive test, which is easy to apply, reliable, and allows for the characterization of the absolute and relative modulation of the sympathetic and parasympathetic components of the cardiac ANS [ 29 , 43 – 46 ].…”