The Importance of Sex in the Lives of Women Living with HIV: A Critical Quantitative Analysis

ABSTRACT

The authors explored the importance of sex for 1,289 women living with HIV in Canada. Approximately half of women viewed sex as “very” (19.6%) or “somewhat” important (32.3%) and the remaining reported “neither important or unimportant” (22.0%), “somewhat unimportant” (5.4%), or “not at all important” (20.1%). Women who had a regular sex partner, identified as African, Caribbean, or Black, were more educated, believed HIV treatment prevents transmission, or had better physical health-related quality-of-life reported greater importance of sex, whereas those who were older, used illicit drugs, or experienced violence in adulthood reported lesser importance. Findings underscore the diversity of women's perspectives within the context of their lives.

KEYWORDS:

• Sex
• sexuality
• women
• HIV
• Canada
• CHIWOS

Acknowledgments

The Canadian HIV Women's Sexual and Reproductive Health Cohort Study (CHIWOS) Research Team would like to especially thank all of the women living with HIV who participate in this research. We also thank the entire national team of co-investigators, collaborators, and peer research associates. We would like to acknowledge the National Steering Committee, the three provincial Community Advisory Boards, the national CHIWOS Aboriginal Advisory Board, and our partnering organizations for supporting the study, especially those who provide interview space and support to our Peer Research Associates. We also thank Dr. Robert S. Hogg for his involvement as Doctoral Supervisor.

Additional information

Funding

CHIWOS is funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR, MOP111041); the CIHR Canadian HIV Trials Network (CTN 262); the Ontario HIV Treatment Network; and the Academic Health Science Centres Alternative Funding Plans (Innovation Fund. Allison Carter and Kate Salters received support through a Doctoral Research Award from the CIHR HIV/AIDS Research Initiative and the Canadian Association for HIV Research. Nadia O'Brien and Alexandra de Pokomandy received support from Fonds de Recherche du Quebéc—Santé (FRQS). Angela Kaida received salary support through a Tier 2 Canada Research Chair in Global Perspectives on HIV and Sexual and Reproductive Health.