HIV transmission in sexual partners of persons with HIV/AIDS attending the Infectious Diseases Hospital, Yangon

A study was conducted in the Infectious Diseases Hospital, Yangon, for one year from August 1996 to 1997, to assess the extent and the factors related to HIV transmission among sexual partners of HIV/AIDS cases. It was a cross-sectional comparative study on 67 (61 males, 6 females) HIV positive individuals with or without AIDS, and their sexual partners. Separate interviews of index cases and partners were done, and clinical examination and laboratory tests for HIV and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) were performed. HIV transmission was found in 41.8% of the partners. Male-to-female transmission was 39.3% (n=61) and female to male transmission was 66.7% (n=6), Seven and one half percent of the partners were suffering from AIDS. There were 4 (6.6%) pregnant mothers and 1 (25%) was HIV positive. Though 75% of the partners did not use condoms during their married life, HIV transmission was significantly reduced in the condom users (odds ratio (OR) = 0.18, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.02-0.98 p = < 0.05). The seropositive men who were less than 30 years of age had greater HIV transmission (OR = 5.67, 95% CI 1.13-36.46). However, socio-demographic factors, number of marital partners and age of first sex partners, duration of marriage, number of sexual relationships between these couples, duration of HIV positivity and AIDS infection, immunological status of the index group and STD positivity among partners had no significant association with the transmission of HIV. This study demonstrated that the transmission of HIV was high among the sexual partners of persons with HIV infection. It also highlighted the requirement of effective counseling and preventive measures against HIV infection among the couples.