Original Study

Older HIV-Positive Adults in Xiangxi, China

Infection Modes and Associated Risk Factors

Chen, Xi MD*; Li, Xingli PhD†; Qin, Biyun MD*; Zheng, Jun MD*; He, Jianmei MD*; Wang, Lu PhD‡; Wang, Ning PhD‡; Hsu, Ann BA§; Khoshnood, Kaveh PhD§

Author Information

From the *Department of AIDS/STD Control and Prevention, Hunan Provincial Center for Disease Prevention and Control, Changsha, People's Republic of China; †School of Public Health, Central South University, Changsha, People's Republic of China; ‡National Center for AIDS/STD Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, People's Republic of China; and §School of Public Health, Yale University, New Haven, CT

X.C. and X.L. contributed equally to this work.

Supported by the China National Mega-project of science Research No. 2008ZX10001–003 and the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities No.2012QNZT203. No conflict of interests exists.

Correspondence: Xingli Li, School of Public Health, Central South University, No. 110 Xiangya Rd, Changsha, Hunan 410078, People's Republic of China. E-mail: [email protected].

Received for publication January 4, 2012, and accepted April 17, 2012.

Sexually Transmitted Diseases 39(9):p 716-719, September 2012. | DOI: 10.1097/OLQ.0b013e31825af361

Abstract

Objective: 

An unusual increase in HIV/AIDS cases among rural older adults was reported between 2005 and 2008 in Xiangxi Prefecture, Hunan Province. We explored the reasons for this increase and suggested preventive measures for the future control of HIV infection in this population.

Methods: 

A cross-sectional study was conducted using an HIV/AIDS registry in Hunan Province, China, to explore the likely transmission mode and risk factors of HIV/AIDS among older adults. The data were collected by face-to-face interview.

Results: 

A total of 80 participants including 5 couples were interviewed. Among them, 46 (57.5%) participants were male and 34 (42.5%) were female. Of 46 male HIV-positive participants, 45 (97.8%) reported to have sexual intercourse with commercial sex workers. None of the female HIV-positive participants reported to have engaged in commercial sex activities. Among 46 male participants' spouses, 71.7% of them had received HIV testing and 48.5% were HIV-positive. Among 34 female participants' spouses, 92.2% of them had received HIV testing and 87.1% were HIV-positive. Ninety-seven percent of the participants reported never using condoms during sexual intercourse with their marital partners or commercial sex workers before knowing their HIV status. Eighty-two percent of participants did not know that condoms could prevent HIV/AIDS/STIs.

Conclusion: 

Chinese older adults are an underappreciated at-risk population for HIV/AIDS. The likely transmission mode of HIV/AIDS among rural older adults was unprotected sex. The HIV/AIDS/STIs knowledge among this population is very limited.

© Copyright 2012 American Sexually Transmitted Diseases Association

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