The Relationship between Alcohol Outlets, HIV Risk Behavior, and HSV-2 Infection among South African Young Women: A Cross-Sectional Study
Year: 2015
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: BACKGROUND: Alcohol consumption has a disinhibiting effect that may make sexual risk behaviors and disease transmission more likely. The characteristics of alcohol-serving outlets (e.g. music, dim lights, lack of condoms) may further encourage risky sexual activity. We hypothesize that frequenting alcohol outlets will be associated with HIV risk. METHODS: In a sample of 2,533 school-attending young women in rural South Africa, we performed a cross-sectional analysis to examine the association between frequency of alcohol outlet visits in the last six months and four outcomes related to HIV risk: number of sex partners in the last three months, unprotected sex acts in the last three months, transactional sex with most recent partner, and HSV-2 infection. We also tested for interaction by alcohol consumption. RESULTS: Visiting alcohol outlets was associated with having more sex partners [adjusted odds ratio (aOR), one versus zero partners (95% confidence interval (CI)): 1.51 (1.21, 1.88)], more unprotected sex acts [aOR, one versus zero acts (95% CI): 2.28 (1.52, 3.42)], higher levels of transactional sex [aOR (95% CI): 1.63 (1.03, 2.59)], and HSV-2 infection [aOR (95% CI): 1.30 (0.88, 1.91)]. In combination with exposure to alcohol consumption, visits to alcohol outlets were more strongly associated with all four outcomes than with either risk factor alone. Statistical evidence of interaction between alcohol outlet visits and alcohol consumption was observed for all outcomes except transactional sex. CONCLUSIONS: Frequenting alcohol outlets was associated with increased sexual risk in rural South African young women, especially when they consumed alcohol. Sexual health interventions targeted at alcohol outlets may effectively reach adolescents at high risk for sexually transmitted infections like HIV and HSV-2. TRIAL REGISTRATION: HIV Prevention Trials Network HPTN 068.
Source: PLoS ONE
Institutions: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Harvard University, University of the Witwatersrand, Agincourt Health and Socio-Demographic Surveillance System, Indepth Network, University of Washington, National Institutes of Health, Johns Hopkins University, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Umeå University
Language: English
Topic: HIV, Drug Use, Sexual Risk
Subfield: Epidemiology
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $2,382
Funders: National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Carolina Population Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, NHLBI Division of Intramural Research
Awards: Carolina Population Center, G1789099407, G2239871464, G2270545241, University of North Carolina AIDS Clinical Trials Unit (UNC ACTU), G339783423, G3511106470, G3514843332, G678040785, Carolina Population Center, Effects of Cash Transfer and Community Mobilization in Young South African Women, G9000006923, G9000042165, HIV Prevention Trials Network Leadership and Operations Center, Population Research Training, LC: HIV PREVENTION TRIALS NETWORK, University of North Carolina Global HIV Prevention and Treatment Clinical Trials Unit, SDMC: HIV Prevention Trials Network
OpenAlex ID: W2119582033