Concurrent partnerships among rural African Americans with recently reported heterosexually transmitted HIV infection.

OBJECTIVES

To investigate concurrent sexual partnerships among African Americans in North Carolina with recently reported heterosexually transmitted HIV infection.

DESIGN

Population-based case series of persons with newly reported HIV infection.

METHODS

Household interviews concerning sexual and other risk behaviors for HIV transmission were conducted among African Americans, 18-59 years old, who had been reported to the state health department within the preceding 6 months as having heterosexually acquired HIV infection. Dates of sexual partnerships were analyzed to identify concurrency among the 3 most recent partnerships.

RESULTS

Concurrency prevalence in the past 1 and 5 years, respectively, was 45 and 63% for men and 37 and 58% for women. Most respondents (87%) believed that a recent partner had had a concurrent partnership. Multivariate analysis revealed associations between concurrency and male gender, youth, crack cocaine smoking, and incarceration of a sex partner.

CONCLUSIONS

Concurrent partnerships likely accelerate heterosexual HIV transmission among blacks in the rural southeastern United States. Future research should examine the socioeconomic context that supports this network pattern.