Risk of HIV Transmission Within Marriage in Rural China: Implications for HIV Prevention at the Family Level

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Abstract
Little is known about HIV transmission at the family level in China. We examined the risks for HIV transmission between husbands and wives and from parents to children in a rural area where HIV spread among former commercial blood donors. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 605 (302 couples) marriage license applicants. More males (64.6%) than females (52.1%) reported having had premarital sex and multiple sex partners (12.6% and 6.9%, respectively). Among those having had multiple sex partners, 8.5% reported often or always using condoms. Only 36.8% of the couples agreed that they would not plan to have a baby after knowing the status of HIV infection. Approximately 43% of the couples agreed that they would use condoms consistently if 1 of them were HIV-positive. There is an urgent need for national programs to prevent HIV infection within couples in rural areas.