OBJECTIVETo identify the status and risk factors of transmission in couples which males was HIV-positive in Zhejiang province.

METHODSA cross-sectional study was conducted among HIV-serodiscordant couple (male positive) and HIV-seroconcordant couple (male first infected). A self-designed questionnaire was complimented containing basic information, the awareness of infection and HIV-testing, sexual relationship power, self-efficacy of condom use, sex. The univariated and multivariate logistic regression methods were used to analyze the influence factors.

RESULTSA total of 263 couples were enrolled in this study, including 210 HIV HIV-serodiscordant couples and 53 HIV-seroconcordant couples. HIV-positive males aged 30-50 accounted for 57.8% (152 cases) and females under junior high school accounted for 79.1% (208 cases). HIV/AIDS accounted for 41.1% (217 cases). The proportion of man who were diagnosed as HIV, MSM and ever heard HIV were 61.9% (130 cases), 38.3% (80 cases) and 81.9% (172 cases), which were higher than that in HIV positive 47.2% (25 cases), 7.5% (4 cases), 64.2% (34 cases); χ(2)=3.80, 18.33, 7.86;P=0.051, 0.001, 0.005. The results revealed that AIDS patients had high risk to infect their spouse than HIV patients (OR=2.93, 95% CI: 1.05-8.21). Male patients who had ever heard " HIV" before were less likely pass virus to their wives than those who had never heard " HIV" (OR=0.13, 95% CI: 0.04-0.41). Compared with heterosexuality man, homosexuality man' wives had high risk to get virus from their husbands (OR=0.14, 95% CI: 0.03-0.73). Female infected with STIs was the independent factors for HIV infection (OR=4.86, 95% CI: 1.23-19.11).

CONCLUSIONAmong the couples of male HIV-positive in Zhejiang Province, the risk of spouses infected with HIV virus has relationship with male disease progression, sexual orientation and awareness of AIDS knowledge. For females who infected with sexual diseases in last 6 months might be infected by their spouses.