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Background:

Evidence on the role of age-disparate partnerships in high HIV-infection rates among young women in sub-Saharan Africa remains inconclusive. This study examined the HIV-infection risk associated with age-disparate partnerships among 15-to 24-year-old women in a hyperendemic setting in South Africa.

Methods:

Face-to-face questionnaire, and laboratory HIV and viral load data were collected during 2014–2015 among a representative sample (15–49 years old) in KwaZulu-Natal. The association between age-disparate partnerships (age difference≥ 5 years) and HIV status among 15-to 24-year-old women (N= 1459) was assessed using multiple logistic regression analyses. Data from the male sample on all on-going partnerships (N= 1229) involving 15-to 24-year-old women were used to assess whether young women's age-disparate male partners were more likely to have a viral load≥ 1000 …