High risk behavior related to HIV transmission among recently diagnosed TB patients in Jakarta

This study investigated the demographic and high risk behavior characteristics among recently diagnosed pulmonary tuberculosis patients aged 18-40 years old in Jakarta, Indonesia. Three hundred and four participants were recruited voluntarily from two general hospitals. Among the study population, 38.5% were unemployed, 69.7% were in low socio-economic condition, and 69.7% had a high school or higher level of education. About 8% had received a transfusion, 0.3% were intravenous drug users (IVDU) and had sex with other IVDU's, no males admitted to being homosexual, 3.2% of males were bisexual, 20.1% (35.5% of males, 4% of females) engaged in extramarital heterosexual intercourse, and 3.6% (7.1% of males) had one or more sexually transmitted diseases (STD). We found very strong associations between gender and extramarital heterosexual activity (p < 0.001, prevalence odds ratio (POR 13.11), between occupation and extramarital heterosexual activity (p < 0.001, POR 3.84), and between extramarital heterosexual contact and a history of an STD (p < 0.001, POR 20.86). High risk activities were common among these TB patients, especially among males. These results suggests that the necessary social conditions for transmission of HIV are common in Jakarta.