Journal of AIDS and Clinical Research
Volume 5, Issue 7, 2014

HIV/AIDS - Related knowledge, attitudes, and sexual practices among migrant wives in Rural Anhui Province, China (Article)

Zou H. , Dai X. , Meng X. , Wang H. , Jiang C. , Wang Y. , Zhang L. , Gao Y. , Tang S. , Sun W.* , Wen Y.
  • a Melbourne Sexual Health Centre, Alfred Health, Melbourne, Australia, School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia, School of Public Health and Community Medicine, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia, Centre for Population Health, Burnet Institute, Melbourne, Australia
  • b School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
  • c Wuxi Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Wuxi, China
  • d Anhui Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Hefei, China
  • e School of Public Health, Wannan Medical College, Wuhu, China
  • f Anhui Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Hefei, China
  • g Clinical Laboratory, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
  • h School of Food Science, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Zhongshan, China
  • i School of Environment and Sustainability, University of SaskatchewanSK, Canada
  • j School of Food Science, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Zhongshan, China, School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, Tulane UniversityLA, United States
  • k School of Public Health, Wannan Medical College, Wuhu, China

Abstract

Background: Migrant wives have been increasing in some poor rural regions of China and they may bridge HIV transmission across regions. This study aimed to assess HIV/AIDS-related knowledge, attitudes and sexual practices among this population in rural Anhui Province, China.Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted with questionnaire of HIV/AIDS-related knowledge, attitudes, and sexual practices between June 2011 and May 2012. A total of 730 migrant wives and 207 local women were enrolled in this study. Unpaired T-test, Chi-square was utilized to compare the difference of HIV/AIDS knowledge, attitudes and sexual practices between migrant wives and local women.Results: Around 80% of the migrant wives were from Yunnan, Guizhou, or Sichuan Provinces. The main sources of HIV/AIDS information were TV/radio, posters, and newspapers/periodicals. HIV/AIDS knowledge level among migrant wives was significantly lower than that among local women (e.g. 47.1% vs 57.0% (p<0.001) answered “Yes” for the question “Can an apparently healthy person be HIV-infected?”), and stigma and prejudice towards HIV/AIDS among migrant wives were more common than those among local women (e.g. 73.2% vs 65.7% (p=0.006) answered “No” for the question “If a shopkeeper or food seller had the HIV, would you buy food from them?”). Compared to local women, migrant wives were more likely to have ever had sex during menstruation (6.8% vs 3.4%, p=0.065) and extramarital sex (17.5% vs 10.1%, p=0.01), and were less likely to consistently use condoms with their husbands (45.8% vs 57.5%, p<0.001) or extramarital sex partners (48.8% vs 58.95, p<0.001).Conclusions: Migrant wives in rural China had a low HIV/AIDS knowledge level and high prevalence of stigma and prejudice and risky sexual behaviors. Local HIV/AIDS prevention programs should target this neglected population. © 2014 Zou H, et al.

Author Keywords

Attitudes Sexual practices Knowledge HIV/AIDS Migrant wives

Index Keywords

[No Keywords available]
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84907273760&doi=10.4172%2f2155-6113.1000319&partnerID=40&md5=3ffa53321c91055ab6a145ff87a4f870
DOI: 10.4172/2155-6113.1000319
ISSN: 21556113
Cited by: 1
Original Language: English