Sexuality and health: a study of Tanzanian men's experiences of living with HIV/AIDS

The aim of this study was to explore Tanzanian men's experiences regarding their health and sex life after they had been diagnosed with HIV. In-depth interviews were performed with a purposive sample of ten men living in an urban area in Tanzania and who had been HIV positive for more than one year. A phenomenological-hermeneutic approach was used for analyzing the transcribed interviews. Three themes emerged from the texts; "awareness of HIV infection", "perceived and ideal health", and "sex life a source of happiness and caring". Living with HIV meant profound adjustments to daily life activities for the participants. HIV forced them to learn new ways of having sexual intercourse and new ways of acting as a man. The meaning of being a "real man" had changed from being a man with great sexual prowess to being a "caring man" within one relationship. (Afr Reprod Health 2008; 12[1]:35-46)

Predictors of condom use among patients with sexually transmitted disease in Uganda

Background and objective: Patients with sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) are at an increased risk of HIV infection and they must be targeted for increased condom use. goal : to identify predictors of condom use among patients with STDs. Study Design : in a cross-sectional survey; an interview-ad-ministered questionnaire was administered to 138 patients at the STD clinic; Mulago; and the outpatients department; Mbarara Hospital; in Uganda. Data were collected on socio-demographic situations; STD symptoms; type of sexual partners; and use of condoms. Multivariate logistic regression models were used to identify independent predictors of condomuse. Results: of the 138 patients; 87(66) knew how to use condoms; 81(59) every used a condom; 34(25) used a condom at least once in the previous 3 months; 20(15) used a condom at least once in the previous 3 months; 20(15) used a condom during the last sexual intercourse; and 80 (58) accepted a free supply of condoms. Reasons for not using condoms among the 57 who had never were: having a regular partner or spouse (28; 49) accepted a free supply of condoms. Reasons for not using condoms among the 57 who had never were: having a regular partner or spouse (28; 49);partner does not approve (17;30); reduced sexual pleasure (5;9); and no answer (7;12). The independent predictors of condom use were: being a man; not having a regular partner; having had sex with a casual partner; being able to read eng; having at least secondary education; and using electricity for lighting. Conclusion: Providing health promotion measures in local languages may improve condom use in this population. There is a need for complementary HIV prevention strategies for women and for regular sexual partnerships