Sexual practices of HIV-positive individuals: The need for continued intervention in developing countries

This questionnaire survey explored the sexual practices and problems of 184 HIV-positive individuals in two tertiary health institutions in south-east Nigeria over a 6 month period. It showed that many (56.5%) HIV-positive individuals continue to be sexually active and almost half (47.6%) of them do not know the sero-status of their partners. About 60% (n = 62) of sexually active respondents use condoms with 27.9% using them consistently, 31.7% inconsistently, while 40.4% engage in unprotected intercourse. Condom use was more among the male than the female respondents (p < 0.05) and the married or divorced couples than the unmarried (p > 0.05). Diagnosis of HIV resulted in increased abstinence (37.3%) due to loss of interest in sex and/or loss of partner. Almost half (49%) of the respondents had sexually related problems in the form of lack of sexual desire (82.4%), erectile dysfunction (25.5%) and ejaculatory problems (5.9%). These problems are more in the first 6 months of HIV diagnosis and are probably psychological. There is a need for continued discussion on safe sexual practices with HIV-positive individuals during the course of routine clinical consultation.