Sexual practices of people living with HIV in South Eastern Nigeria.

BACKGROUND: Couples could be in serodiscordant or seroconcordant sexual relationship. The seroconcordant could be seroconcrdant positive or negative in a heterosexual or homosexual or bisexual relationship. The various sexual practices include vaginal sex; anal sex fisting; oral sex fellatio, cunnilingus; masturbation mutual or exclusive and a host of others. These sexual practices outside safer sex guidelines will lead to HIV transmission among couples. The study is set to determine the sexual practices of people living with HIV (PLWHA) in Southeast Nigeria.

METHOD: This is an analytical epidemiological study. A total of 300 subjects were studied using interviewer administered questionnaires. Data is presented in tables and figures. Analysis was done using SPSS 11.0 statistical package.

RESULTS: Most respondents were in heterosexual relationship (97%). The married couples in serodiscordant relationship were 25.3% while the singles in serodiscordant relationship were 20%. About 56% do not use condom for the adopted sexual practice although 65% believe that condom use would protect against HIV transmission.

CONCLUSION: Couples in seroconcordant seronegative relationship have it as a challenge to remain so. This study suggests that the PLWHA are very important in the spread of HIV infection as they are still sexually active, in non-cohabiting conjugal unstable relationship, and they do not use the condom consistently. There is an urgent need to target this population with effective behavioural change communications that will translate to safer sexual behaviour. The practice of safer sex should be taught in every health care center, in schools and in village gatherings by qualified health care workers. This will help curb the transmission of HIV.