HIV Prevalence and ART Use Among Men in Partnerships with 15–29 Year Old Women in South Africa: HIV Risk Implications for Young Women in Age-Disparate Partnerships

This study assesses whether men’s ART use mitigates HIV-risk within age-disparate partnerships. Using data from the 2012 South African National HIV survey, we analyzed differences in HIV prevalence and ART use between men in age-disparate and age-similar partnerships with young women aged 15–29 using multiple logistic regression analyses. Within partnerships involving women 15–24 years old, men in age-disparate partnerships were more likely to be HIV-positive (5–9 year age-gap: aOR 2.8, 95%CI 1.4–5.2; p < 0.01; 10+ year age-gap: aOR 2.2, 95%CI 1.0–4.6; p < 0.05). Men in age-disparate partnerships who were 5–9 years older were significantly more likely to be HIV-positive and ART-naïve (aOR 2.4, 95%CI 1.2–4.8; p < 0.05), while this was not the case for men 10+ years older (aOR 1.5, 95%CI 0.7–3.6; p = 0.32). No evidence was found that 25–29 year old women were at greater HIV-risk in age-disparate partnerships. Our results indicate that young women aged 15–24 have a greater likelihood of exposure to HIV through age-disparate partnerships, but ART use among men 10+ years older could mitigate risk.