774 - Sexual Behaviors and Attitudes of Intimate Partners of Ebola Survivors

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Presenting Author(s)

Hannah M. Cunningham

Medical Student
Duke University
Durham, North Carolina
Disclosure: I do not have any relevant financial / non-financial relationships with any proprietary interests.

Co-Author(s)

David Alain Wohl

Professor of Medicine
UNC School of Medicine
Chapel Hill, NC
Disclosure: I do not have any relevant financial / non-financial relationships with any proprietary interests.
ST

Sam Tozay

Site Coordinator
UNC Liberia
monrovia, Montserrado, Liberia
Disclosure: I do not have any relevant financial / non-financial relationships with any proprietary interests.
ER

Edwina Reeves

Clinical Researcher
UNC Liberia
Monrovia, Montserrado, Liberia
Disclosure: I do not have any relevant financial / non-financial relationships with any proprietary interests.
KP

Korto Pewu

Clinical Researcher
UNC Liberia
Monrovia, Montserrado, Liberia
Disclosure: I do not have any relevant financial / non-financial relationships with any proprietary interests.
HJ

Harrieta Johnson

Recruitment/Retention
UNC Liberia
Monrovia, Montserrado, Liberia
Disclosure: I do not have any relevant financial / non-financial relationships with any proprietary interests.
GW

Gerald Williams

Recruitment/Retention
UNC Liberia
Monrovia, Montserrado, Liberia
Disclosure: I do not have any relevant financial / non-financial relationships with any proprietary interests.
TC

Tonia Conneh

Recruitment/Retention
UNC Liberia
Monrovia, Montserrado, Liberia
Disclosure: I do not have any relevant financial / non-financial relationships with any proprietary interests.
JD

Jean DeMarco

Program Manager
UNC Liberia
Monrovia, Montserrado, Liberia
Disclosure: I do not have any relevant financial / non-financial relationships with any proprietary interests.
WF

William A. Fischer

Associate Professor of Medicine
Institute for Global Health and Infectious Diseases, the University of North Carolina
Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Disclosure: I do not have any relevant financial / non-financial relationships with any proprietary interests.
JB

Jerry Brown

Medical Director
JFK Hospital
Monrovia, Montserrado, Liberia
Disclosure: I do not have any relevant financial / non-financial relationships with any proprietary interests.

Background:

Background: Sexual transmission of the Ebola virus (EBOV) from male survivors to their partners has been well-documented. While studies have characterized the sexual behaviors of male survivors of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD), there is little focus on their intimate partners. This study seeks to describe the attitudes and sexual behaviors of women who have had condomless sex with male survivors of the 2014-16 Ebola outbreak in Liberia, West Africa.

Methods:

Methods: Participants were recruited through voluntary referral by their sexual partners, all of whom were participants in a longitudinal EVD survivor cohort. From February to March 2020, 30 women (age range: 19-53 years) were enrolled and surveyed regarding their sexual behaviors with a focus on perceptions of risk for acquisition of Ebola from their partners and the measures taken to address this risk. Mix method quantitative and qualitative assessment of survey responses was completed. Content analysis was used to consider open-ended questionnaire responses.

Results:

Results: Few women reported full compliance with the 2016 World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations for safer sex with EVD survivor partners, but 50% described utilization of a safer se x strategy to reduce risk of transmission. Major themes identified include: (1) an inaccurate perception of no or low risk of sexual transmission of Ebola virus, (2) negative attitudes towards condoms, (3) a preference for abstinence among those seeking to avoid infection, and (4) positive attitudes towards health care worker advice.Table 1: Demographic characteristics and historical sexual behaviors of study participants

Table 2. Self-Reported Current Sexual Behaviors

Conclusion:

Conclusions: Future outbreaks will benefit from intervention programs to address knowledge gaps among women and their male survivor partner regarding the risk of sexual transmission of Ebola and clear communication about effective strategies to reduce this risk.