Background: In many countries in Asia, the HIV epidemic is in a concentrated phase, with high prevalence in certain\nrisk groups, such as men who inject drugs. There is also a rapid increase of HIV among women. The latter might be\ndue to high levels of sero-discordant couples and increasing transmission from male to female partners over time.\nMethods: All adult married patients initiating antiretroviral treatment at four out-patient clinics in Quang Ninh\nprovince in north-eastern Vietnam between 2007 and 2009 were asked to participate in the study. Clinical information\nwas extracted from patients� records, and a structured questionnaire was used to collect social, demographic and\neconomic data.\nResults: Two hundred eighty-eight married patients for whom information on the HIV status of their spouse was\navailable were included in the study. Overall, the sero-discordance rate was 58%. The sero-discordance rate was\nsignificantly higher among married males, 71% had spouses not infected, than married females, of whom 18% had\nspouses not infected. Other factors associated with a high rate of sero-discordance were injection drug use (IDU)\nhistory, tuberculosis (TB) history and the availability of voluntary counselling and testing (VCT) in residential locations.\nHigh sero-concordance was associated with college/university education.\nConclusion: The sero-discordance was significantly higher among married males than married females. Other factors\nalso related to high sero-discordance were history of IDU, history of TB and the availability of VCT in residential\nlocations. In contrast, college/university education and female sex were significantly related to low sero-discordance.\nTo contain the increasing HIV prevalence among women, measures should be taken to prevent transmission among\nsero-discordant couples.
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