Sociodemographic, Clinical and Therapeutic Characteristics of Serodiscordant Couples for the Human Immunodeficiency Virus Followed in Kinshasa: A Case of CH Monkole and Saint Anne Health Center

Background: The transmission of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) during heterosexual intercourse is one of the leading modes of transmission at the origin of the global epidemic of HIV infection. Studies have indeed shown that in Sub-Saharan Africa, most women infected today are infected by their spouses, in the context of marital sexual relations. Objective: The objective of this study was to describe the sociodemographic, clinical and therapeutic characteristics of HIV serodiscordant couples in Kinshasa. Methods: This study is a cross-sectional descriptive study of HIV serodiscordant couples followed in Kinshasa. Data on socio-demographic, clinical and therapeutic characteristics were collected from a questionnaire during couples’ interviews. Results: 17 serodiscordant couples were included in the study. The average time spent as a couple was 8.6 ± 1.8 years. 71.4% of HIV-positive partners were in the age group between 36 and 45 years. According to the BMI, 35.2% of HIV-positive people have normal weight, 11.7% are overweight and 2.9% are thin. 47% of serodiscordant couples had intercourse 4 to 10 times, 41.7% had 1 to 3 times and 11.7% had more than 10 times per month. For the duration of ARV treatment, 28.5% of the seropositive have been under ARV treatment for 1 year, 21.4% for 10 years old, and 14.2% for 3 years. Conclusion: All partners were informed of the serological status of their spouses. It appears in this study, more than half of the infected people are women.