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Table 1 Study Outcomes and their definitions

From: Design and methods of a longitudinal study investigating the impact of antiretroviral treatment on the partnerships and sexual behaviour of HIV-infected individuals in rural KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

Outcome (at 2 years) 1

Definition of outcome

Factor influencing efficiency of transmission

Factor reflecting exposure of susceptible to infected persons

Proportion of sexual acts involving a condom

Number of sex acts protected by a condom throughout divided by the number of sex acts in the last month2

√

 

Condom use at last sex

At last sex, use of condom throughout

√

 

Unsafe sex

Inconsistent condom use with a HIV-negative or unknown serostatus partner in the past 6 months

√

√

Sexually active

One or more sex acts in the last month

 

√

Frequency of sex acts within each partnership

The number of sex acts with each partner in the last month

 

√

Rates of acquisition of new sex partners

The number of new partnerships in the last 6 months divided by the person years of follow-up in the last 6 months

 

√

Rates of dissolution of existing partnerships

The number of partnerships ended in the last 6 months divided by the person years of follow-up in partnership in the last 6 months

 

√

Frequency of concurrent partnerships

Number of overlapping sexual partnerships in which sexual intercourse with one partner occurs between two acts of intercourse with another partner3

 

√

Abstinence

No sexual intercourse during the past 6 months

 

√

  1. 1 Analyses of these outcomes will also be conducted at earlier time-points.
  2. 2 Information is collected in the last month; however, if there was no sex in the last month, the questions are asked about the last 3 months; and if no sex in the last 3 months, the questions are asked about the last 6 months
  3. 3 UNAIDS Reference Group on Estimates, Modelling, and Projections: Working Group on Measuring Concurrent Sexual Partnerships. HIV: consensus indicators are needed for concurrency. Lancet. 2010 Feb 20;375(9715):621-2.