Marital Status and Hiv Risk in Kenya: an Epidemiological Analysis of the 2003 Kenya Demographic Health Survey

In Sub-Saharan Africa, women are at a higher risk of contracting HIV than men according to the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS). Unfortunately, there is very little research focused on the sub-population of married women in order to highlight how different risk factors affect them specifically and may place them at increased risk for HIV infection. This is especially important in the context of low condom use, childbearing and the trust inherent within marriage. A comprehensive literature review of peer reviewed articles from 1990-2005 was conducted and revealed that there is little known about the effect of marital status on HIV risk. The major factors in the transmission of HIV within marriage are low condom use, low educational attainment, migration as well as extramarital affairs. In order to further understand this population, data from the 2003 Kenya Demographic and Health Survey (2003 KDHS) was analyzed for this 2006 master's thesis project in Epidemiology.