Individual and Contextual Factors Associated with Married Women’s HIV Status in India, National Family Health Survey- 3

Abstract

There are increasing concerns related to feminization of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in India especially its showing up among married women. Nuances of HIV related risk and vulnerability are myriad among them (married women) who are either oblivious to their partner’s risk behavior, unaware of their partners’ or own sero-status and often cannot negotiate safer sex. Dearth of evidence on HIV prevention programs indicating gendered outcomes further obscures the situation. National Family Health Survey- 3 data of India were reviewed to identify individual and familial correlates in their marital families, which might be associated with the HIV status among married women in India. Bivariate and regression methods were used. Findings indicated key factors which add to the vulnerability of married women’s risk-proneness to contract HIV. It calls for more socio-behavioral and implementation research addressing HIV transmission and prevention among married women in India, where typically the thrust has been mostly on HIV high risk populations like female sex workers, injecting drug users and men who have sex with men.