[HIV-infection related behaviors and preventive measures among unmarried youths from the rural areas in Liangshan prefecture, 2011-2013].

Abstract

Objective: To analyze the HIV-infection related behaviors among unmarried youths in rural areas of Liangshan prefecture from 2011 to 2013 and factors that influencing the HIV transmission in the population under research. Methods: According to the HIV sentinel surveillance methods for data collection, EpiData 3.1 and SPSS 19.0 were used to handle data and both Chi-square test and logistic regression were used to explore the related factors. Results: A total number of 5 871 qualified youths were involved in this study from 2011 to 2013 with the prevalence rate on HIV infection among those unmarried youths from the rural areas as 3.45% (201/5 833). 27.56% (1 607/5 833) of them had been working outside their hometown area. 31.72% (1 850/5 833) of the unmarried youths had sexual experiences, with 41.46% (767/1 850) of them had casual sex but the rate of consistent condom use was only 3.46% (64/1 850). 5.04% (294/5 833) of the unmarried youths admitted of ever having used drugs, with 34.35% (101/294) of them having the experiences of injecting, with 84.16% (85/101) of them sharing needles. Rates on factors as: working outside the resident areas, ever having had casual sexual behaviors, drug use and injecting drug use were seen higher among HIV infections, with differences statistically significant (χ(2)=88.72, 104.43, 4.20, 154.39, 55.94, P<0.05). Results from the logistic regression showed that factors as: being male,Yi ethnicity, illiteracy, experience of working outside the resident area, never or casual condom use and needle-sharing drug use etc. would significantly increase the risk of HIV infection. Conclusions: HIV infection among unmarried youths from rural areas in Liangshan prefecture called for attention because of the high rates of risk behaviors. Factors as: having had sexual experiences with low condom use, popular injecting drug use with needle sharing, being male, under Yi ethnicity, with lower education level and ever working outside the resident area etc. were under risks that related to HIV infection for unmarried youths in this area.