Sexuality in Montreal women living with HIV

Abstract

The impact of learning a positive HIV test result on the sexuality of 161 women (47 injection drug users (IDU), 53 non-IDU women of Haitian or African origin (non-IDU-HA), and 61 non-IDU Caucasian women (non-IDU-C) was assessed using closed and open-ended questions. Self-reported CD4+ count correlated with any post-test (p = 0.001) and past month sexual activity (p = 0.007). After learning their HIV status, 110 women (68%) were sexually active, 48 (44%) of these within 1 month. After resuming sexual activity, 84% underwent a sexual adjustment period (median duration 8.5 months). IDU women were more likely to have frequent sex, be anorgasmic, and prefer sex less often. Consistent partner condom use was low in general (19% for IDU, 30% for non-IDU-HA, and 62% for non-IDU-C) and by partner type (new regular partner 58%, same regular partner 36%, casual partner 29%). Sexual satisfaction tended to decline post-test and then increase to higher than pre-test levels. Counselling focused on the safe and satisfying aspects of sex may assist women with HIV infection in sexual decision-making. Facilitating the access of IDU women with HIV infection to medically supervised drug provision and to detoxification and rehabilitation programmes can weaken the link between drug use and sex work.

Mulheres HIV positivas, reprodução e sexualidade

“…9 Pesquisa entre as mulheres HIV-positivas nos paí-ses industrializados sugere que o diagnóstico pode interromper a vida sexual, 17 mas a maioria das mulheres e homens mantém sua atividade sexual apesar da angústia que sobrevém ao diagnóstico da infecção pelo HIV. 19 A atividade sexual é uma questão muito importante e está freqüentemente relacionada ao amor e à afetividade, e não somente à questão da procriação. 26 Esses sentimentos românticos se contrapõem, na prática, às medidas preconizadas para a prevenção das DST/Aids.…”

Diminished Sexual Activity, Interest, and Feelings of Attractiveness Among HIV-Infected Women in Two Eras of the AIDS Epidemic

“…In a longitudinal study of HIV-positive women in the military (Brown, Kendall, & Ledsky, 1995), 21% of women met the criteria for HSDD at the initial evaluation, but 50% met the criteria at both the second and third evaluations 6 to 18 months later. Among those who continued to engage in sexual activity, low levels of sexual satisfaction have been documented, with 32% of HIV-positive women in Canada reporting they were not satisfied or only a little satisfied with their sex lives (Hankins et al, 1997).…”

“…Although lower than that found among older women, sexual abstinence following HIV diagnosis has also been found to be quite common among younger HIV-positive women. For example, studies have found that 32% of HIV-positive women in Canada were no longer sexually active following their HIV diagnosis (Hankins, Gendron, Tran, Lamping, & Lapointe, 1997), that 42% of HIV-positive women in New England reported not having had sex in the past month (Bova & Durante, 2003), and that 34% of HIV-positive women with a history of injecting drug use avoided sex due to their HIV infection (Meyer-Bahlburg et al, 1993).…”

“…However, a few such insights into this matter have been offered in the results of otherwise quantitative surveys. For example, in response to an open-ended question, Hankins et al (1997) report that HIV-positive women described themselves as being afraid to be touched, feeling guilty, being less interested in sex, being worried about infecting others, and feeling a loss of spontaneity and freedom. Similarly, Goggin et al (1998) reported that infected women's beliefs about what may have caused HSDD "varied widely and included: fear of rejection, lack of a partner, fatigue, relationship problems and fear of infecting a partner" (p. 15).…”

SafeTalk, a Multicomponent, Motivational Interviewing-Based, Safer Sex Counseling Program for People Living with HIV/AIDS: A Qualitative Assessment of Patients' Views

“…While most people living with HIV practice safer sex or abstinence, at least 20-30% continue to engage in risky sexual practices and this proportion appears to be increasing. [4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16] Based on these data, policymakers have recommended that interventionists develop strategies to reduce risky sexual behaviors of HIVinfected people. [17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24] In the past, the few safer sex interventions that targeted HIV-infected people met with limited success because they often did not address issues of serostatus disclosure, HIV stigma, or motivation to protect others from HIV.…”