risk factors impacting on the spread of hiv among pregnant women ...

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RISK FACTORS IMPACTING ON THE SPREAD OF HIV AMONG PREGNANT WOMEN IN THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION
15.9% of the women did not have regular sexual partners before HIV diagnosis (higher than average).
Also, the number of regular partners after HIV diagnosis decreased: 80.3% of women had one
regular partner only. The average number of regular sexual partners after HIV diagnosis totalled 0.9,
which is nearly two times less than in the previous period. The average number of sexual contacts
with regular partners during the month preceding the survey totalled
3.2. About 7.2% of women had had no sexual contact with their regular partner in the last month.
HIV diagnosis had no significant influence on the use of condoms during sex with regular partners.
46.8% of the women reported using condoms with regular partners only occasionally; 20.7% – nearly
always. 72.1% did not use condoms during the last sexual contact with their regular partner. In
30% of cases, the partners did not think it was necessary to use condoms, in another 23.8% they did
not think about it and in 23.8% of cases the partner objected.
After HIV diagnosis, the proportion of women engaging in sex with non-regular partners dropped;
however, it was still rather high (40.9%). 20% had 2–5 non-regular partners.
HIV diagnosis had no significant impact on the use of condoms with non-regular partners. 35.2% of
the women reported always and 33.3% nearly always using condoms with non-regular partners.
38.9% did not use condoms during the last sexual contact with a non-regular partner; in 38.1% of
cases the partners did not think it was necessary.
15.2% of women in the St Petersburg sub-sample engaged in commercial sex after HIV diagnosis
(Fig. 3). The mean number of commercial partners was quite low (0.1). About 30% of women had
had 2-30 sexual contacts with commercial partners during this period; 8.7% had had over 30. The
mean number of sexual contacts with those partners was 20. About half the women with commercial
sexual contacts used condoms nearly always. 78.3% of them used condoms during their last commercial
contact, with the partners jointly deciding to use a condom.
There was a drop in the proportion of women experiencing sexual violence after HIV diagnosis (7.6%).
More interviewees evaluated their sexual behaviour after HIV diagnosis as completely safe (8.3%) or
very unsafe (10.6%), compared with the period before diagnosis. Also during this period the proportion
of women diagnosed with STI decreased (maximum rate candidiasis in 9.1% ).
2.1.3.2. ADDICTIVE BEHAVIOUR, DRUG USE AND PREVENTION OF PARENTERAL HIV TRANSMISSION
Before HIV diagnosis, 31.1% of women did not use alcohol (more than average), 29.8% used alcohol
several times a month.
About 65.6% of interviewees had used drugs – 76.8% of them by injection (50.3% of all interviewees).
84.2% had had their first drug injection at the age of 15–19. 53.5% had been using drugs for
3-9 years at the time of diagnosis; 30.3% for 1–3 years; 12.1% for over 9 years.
Heroin was the drug most often used. 34.2% injected drugs 2-3 times a week; 20% – practically
daily. 18.4% had experimented with injecting drugs.