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HIV communication between husbands and wives: Effects on husband HIV testing in Northern Thailand.
Southeast Asian Journal of Tropical Medicine and Public Health 2007;
38(2):1-12.
Manopaiboon C, Kilmarx P, Supawitkul S, Chaikummao S, Limpakarnjanarat K,
Chantarojwong N, Xu F, van Griensven F, Mastro T.
Abstract
In northern Thailand, where substantial male-to-female transmission of HIV
has occurred in stable partnerships, the relationships between counseling,
communication, and HIV-preventive behaviors in married couples have not been
well studied. In a study of HIV incidence among women in northern Thailand,
each participant was advised to learn her husband's HIV-infection status and
was asked to bring him for an interview at the final 12-month follow-up visit.
Of the 337 men interviewed, 58% reported having ever had an HIV test. More
men reported testing following their wives' enrollment: 12% in the year prior
to enrollment vs 22% during the 1-year study (p < 0.001). In the univariate
analysis, men's HIV testing during the 6 months before being interviewed was
associated with communication about HIV testing with their wife and extra
marital sex with non-FSW while married. Testing following their wife's request
was the most common reason reported. Agreement between husband's and wife's
reports was poor for most issues, such as whether HIV-related communication
had occurred, but agreement as to whether the husband had ever been tested
for HIV was relatively high (kappa = 0.62). However, in the logistic regression
analysis, only sex with non-FSW while married remained associated with HIV
testing (p = 0.02). The results suggest a relationship between counseling,
communication, and husband HIV testing. Better communication by couples may
result in more effective use of HIV testing, which is already prevalent in
this population, to prevent HIV transmission.