Socioeconomic position and HIV risk-relevant behavior among lower-income heterosexuals in San Francisco

Abstract

We assess whether there is evidence of an association between socioeconomic position (SEP) and HIV risk-relevant behavior among lower income heterosexual men and women in San Francisco. Respondents residing in low income areas with high heterosexual AIDS case burden in San Francisco were recruited through long-chain referral in 2006-2007. Risk measures included unprotected vaginal intercourse, concurrency and exchange sex. SEP was defined as household annual income, per capita income, and employment. Analyses utilized mixed and fixed effects models. A total of 164 men and 286 women were included in the study. SEP was only significant in the case of exchange sex among men: men reporting annual income greater than $30,000 had significantly lower odds of exchange sex relative to other men. Evaluating the connection between economic status and HIV requires additional studies covering diverse populations. Future studies should focus on community economic context as well as individual SEP.

Fig. 1

Distribution of total UVI partners in 12 months among respondents, by sex and marital status. Note: Values in parentheses reflect the total number of respondents. Boxes represent the interquartile range, and the dark horizontal line indicates the median

Fig. 2

Proportion of respondents reporting exchange sex in the prior 12 months, by sex and marital status. Note: Values in parentheses reflect the total number of respondents

Fig. 3

Proportion of respondent-month observations with two or more overlapping partners in a month (6 month recall period), by sex and marital status. Note: Values in parentheses reflect the total number of respondent-month observations

Fig. 4

Distribution of per partner UVI episodes in the prior 6 months among respondent-partner observations, by sex and partner type. Note: Values in parentheses reflect the total number of respondent-partner observations. Boxes represent the interquartile range, and the dark horizontal line indicates the median