HIV status disclosure and risky sexual behavior among migrants from sub-Saharan Africa treated with antiretrovirals in France

Abstract

Background: Migrants from sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) are particularly affected by the HIV/ AIDS epidemic in France. Despite a fall in the number of new diagnoses observed in the last decade in France, in 2016 migrants from SSA accounted for 39% of the 6,003 people who discovered their HIV positive status in France. Although the majority of these people are infected in their country of origin because of the epidemiological situation, virological data and cross-sectional surveys suggest that some of the infections occur after migration to France. These post-migration infections can be attributed to risky sexual behavior in intra-African sexual networks where HIV prevalence is high. Objectives: to study at once the determinants of HIV status disclosure, predictive factors of virological rebound during a transitional stay in the country of origin and factors associated with risky sexual behavior. Methods: we used the ANRS-VIHVO survey data set up between 2007- 2009. This cohort studied migrants from SSA living in France with HIV infection managed with antiretroviral therapy, and who had planned a transitional stay in their countries of origin for a period of 15 days to 6 months. Results: Our work highlighted a significant overall rate of HIV status disclosure, 86 % [CI 95%: 82- 90%]. Disclosure to the partner, an important component of the risk reduction strategy of HIV transmission in couples, is relatively low, 79% (95% CI: 73-85%) overall, whose 88% (95% CI: 82-94%) in France vs 53% (95% CI: 38-69%) in the country of origin where some people have regular sex partners. After the trip in ASS, 11.4% (95% CI: 7.3- 15.5%) of people developed a virological rebound mainly due to lack of adherence to treatment during the trip. Non-systematic use of condoms is observed in more than a third of the study subjects, ie, 38.4 % (95% CI: 30.0- 46.7%) with the regular partner and 34.5% (95% CI: 21.8-56.7%) with casual partners. Several predictors of HIV status disclosure