Satisfaction with sexual life in people living with HIV in Romania, together with associated individual and social factors

Abstract

The present study aimed to identify social and individual factors associated with satisfaction with sexual life (SSL) in people living with HIV (PLHIV) in contact with a community-based organisation in Romania. A standardised questionnaire was administered (N = 300) in a community-based research study. Multivariate analysis (using a weighted logistic regression restricted to the 291 respondents who answered a question about SSL) was used to determine factors associated with SSL. Sixty-eight per cent of the participants declared that they were satisfied with their sexual life. The following individual factors were associated with SSL: being over 36 years old (Odds Ratio [95% CI]: 0.27 [0.13–0.55]), having ceased sexual intercourse because of HIV (0.33 [0.14–0.76]), not knowing how infection had occurred (0.29 [0.15–0.59]), being officially registered with a level of disability lower than “severe” (0.47 [0.23–0.98]) and having a higher self-efficacy score (1.36 [1.14–1.61]). Living in a couple (7.60 [3.69–15.66]), knowing at least one HIV-infected person who had publicly disclosed his/her seropositivity (2.23 [1.03–4.84]), and having a higher social exclusion score (0.91 [0.82–1]) were social factors associated with SSL. The results suggest that HIV service providers must be sensitised to the necessity of systematically including the topic of PLHIV SSL in field interventions. Self-empowerment, positive examples of public disclosure, promoting the benefits of living in a couple, and supporting social integration can all improve the well-being of PLHIV, including their SSL.

Keywords:

• HIV positive
• satisfaction
• sexual life
• Romania
• community-based research

Acknowledgements

This study was made possible thanks to the organisation “Coalition Internationale SIDA” and to funding from ANRS and Sidaction. The authors thank all the PLHIV who agreed to participate and the partners of the other countries involved in the study PARTAGES for their contribution to the success of the study at the local and international levels. Finally, they would like to thank Jude Sweeney for the English reviewing of this manuscript.