A review of socioeconomic inequalities in HIV infections among women in Low and Middle-income countries.

BackgroundEvidence shows that HIV is more prevalent among women in low and middle-income countries, this disparity is partly due to biological and socioeconomic factors. In this study we synthesised evidence on the relationship between socioeconomic factors and HIV prevalence among women. MethodWe searched PubMed, Cochrane, Scopus, and Embase, for articles published between 2010 and 2020 that investigated the relationship between socioeconomic factors and HIV prevalence among women in low and middle-income countries. We analysed and reported our findings based on the PRISMA guidelines. FindingsA total of 14 studies were included in the final analysis. Six studies explored the effect of disparity in level of education on the prevalence of HIV among women. The effect of income disparity was explored in eight studies, while two studies each explored the effects of occupation and employment status. Overall, evidence shows that women with low socioeconomic status were more at risk of HIV infection. InterpretationTargeted Interventions aimed at improving the socioeconomic status of women in low and middle-income countries will play a significant role in reducing the prevalence of HIV infection in these settings.