Abstract:
Background: - Nearly two and half decades after the first case was diagnosed, HIV/AIDS
remains a major public health problem. Among HIV-positive individuals practice of risky sexual
behaviors is the major effective driver of the HIV epidemic, this behavior expose their partners
for HIV and for HIV positive partners expose to a risk of supra-infection by other strains.
However; little is known about risky sexual behavior among people living with HIV attending
antiretroviral therapy in Ethiopia particularly in the study area.
Objective: This study was aimed to assess the prevalence of risky sexual behavior and its
associated factors among people living with HIV, attending ART clinic at Nekemte referral
hospital from March to April, 2016.
Methodology: A facility based cross-sectional study was conducted by using quantitative
method to study prevalence and associated factors of risky sexual behavior among PLHIV
attending Antiretroviral therapy clinic at Nekemte referral hospital from March to April, 2016. A
total of 337 clients were included in the study. Consecutive sampling technique was used to
select the study participants; data was collected through face to face interview. Data was
entered into Epi-data Version 3.1 and analyzed using SPSS version 20. Variables significant at
bivariate logistic regression analysis at p<0.25 were considered as candidate for the
multivariable logistic regression analysis and statistical significance were declared at p<0.05.
Result: - About one third (32.9%) of the study participants were engaged in risky sexual
behavior in the past three months prior to the study. In this study participants those who had
multiple sexual partner (AOR=6.38,95% CI:1.65,24.74), had positive sero-status partner
(AOR=2.68,95% CI:1.31,5.5),did not disclose sero-status (AOR=5.99, 95% CI:1.36,26.35),
desire for child (AOR=2.6,95% CI:1.5,4.51), experienced perceived stigma (AOR=2.63,95%
CI:1.5,4.62) and those who did not get education/counseling on importance of protecting self
from strain (AOR=5.64,95% CI:3.19,9.96) were more likely to engaged in risky sexual behavior.
Conclusion & recommendation: The study revealed that about one third of study participants
were engaged in risky sexual behavior & efforts to increase awareness through health education
were highly recommended.
