Skip to main content

Sexual Partners in a Rural South African Setting1

AIDS and Behavior volume 10, pages 399–404 (2006)Cite this article

The study investigated sexual behaviors among 1573 rural South Africans in their early and late adolescents and young adults. The participants reported their number of sexual partners and behaviors related to sexual experience, including age of their first sexual experience, use of contraceptives, use of substances, and anal sex. The data from 630 adolescents with sexual experience (males: 362; females: 268) were analyzed to test three sequential models to predict the number of sexual partners from student characteristics (i.e., demographics, use of substances, sexual behaviors). Teenagers with early sexual experience and a history of substance-use tended to have multiple sexual partners, confirming the need for targeted HIV prevention interventions for young people in South Africa.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution.

Access options

Buy single article

Instant access to the full article PDF.

43,34 €

Price includes VAT (Finland)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

REFERENCES

  • Alberts, C., Mbalo, N., and Ackerman, C. J. (2003). Adolescents' perceptions of the relevance of domains of identity formation: A South African cross-cultural study. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 32, 169–184.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bachanas, P. J., Morris, M. K., Lewis-Gess, J. L., Sarett-Cuasay, E. J., Sirl, K., Ries, J. K., and Sawyer, M. K. (2002). Predictors of risky sexual behavior in African American adolescent girls: Implications for prevention interventions. Journal of Pediatric Psychology, 27, 519–530.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Baylies, C., and Bujra, J. (2002). AIDS, sexuality and gender in Africa: Collective strategies and struggles in Tanzania and Zambia. London: Routledge Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Boyer, C. B., Tschann, J. M., and Shafer, M. A. (1999). Predictors of risk for sexually transmitted diseases in ninth grade urban high school students. Journal of Adolescent Research, 14, 448–465.

    PubMed  Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bryan, A., and Stallings, M. C. (2002). A case control study of adolescent risk behavior and its relationship to personality dimensions, conduct disorder and substance use. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 31, 387–396.

    Google Scholar 

  • Campbell, C., and MacPhail, C. (2002). Peer education, gender, and the development of critical consciousness: Participatory HIV prevention by South Africa youth. Social Science and Medicine, 55, 331–345.

    Google Scholar 

  • Colvin, M. (2000). Sexually transmitted infections in Southern Africa: A public health crisis. South African Journal of Science, 96, 335–339.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cullinan, K. (2003). Risky sex for material girls. Heath E-News Service, Retrieved on January 2, 2004, from http://iafrica.com/aidswise/features/271823.htm.

  • Eaton, L., Flisher, J. A., and Aaro, L. E. (2003). Unsafe sexual behaviour in South African youth. Social Science and Medicine, 56, 149–165.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ellen, J. M., Adler, N., Gurvey, J. E., Dunlop, M. B. V., Millstein, S. G., and Tschann, J. (2002). Improving predictors of condom behavioral intentions with partner-specific measures of risk perception. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 32, 648–663.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Flisher, A. J., and Charlton, D. O. (2001). Adolescent contraceptive non-use and covariation among risk behaviors. Journal of Adolescent Health, 28, 235–241.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Flisher, A. J., Evans, J., Muller, M., and Lombard, C. (2004). Test-retest reliability of self-reported adolescent risk behavior. Journal of Adolescent, 27, 207–212.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Flisher, A. J., Ziervogel, C. F., Chalton, D. O., and Robertson, B. A. (1993). Risk-taking behaviors of Cape Peninsula high-school students: Part I. Introduction and methods. South African Medical Journal, 83, 469–473.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gilbert, L., and Walker, L. (2003). Treading the path of least resistance: HIV/AIDS and social inequalities—a South African case study. Social Science and Medicine, 54, 1093–1110.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kaaya, S. F., Flisher, A. J., Mbwambo, J. K., Schaalma, H., Aaro, L. E., and Klepp, K. I. A. (2002). Review of studies of sexual behaviour of school students in sub-Saharan Africa. Scandinavian Journal of Public Health, 30, 148–160.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kau, M. (1991). Sexual behaviour and knowledge of adolescent males in the Molopo region of Bophuthatswana. Curationis, 14, 37–40.

    Google Scholar 

  • MacPhail, C., and Campbell, C. (2001). I think condoms are good but, I hate those things: Condom use among adolescents and young people in a Southern African township. Social Science and Medicine, 52, 1613–1627.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • MacPhail, C., and Campbell, C. (2002). Relative risk of HIV infection among young men and women in a South African Township. International Journal of STD and AIDS, 13, 331–342.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • MacPhail, C., Campbell, C., Madu, S. N., and Peltzer, K. (2000). Complaints of university students about male use of condoms as a preventive measure against HIV/AIDS in South Africa. Journal of Psychology in Africa, 9, 78–90.

    Google Scholar 

  • Madu, S. N., and Matla, M. P. (2003). Illicit drug use, cigarette smoking and alcohol drinking behaviour among a sample of high school adolescents in the Pietersburg area of the Northern province, South Africa. Journal of Adolescence, 26, 121–136.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Pettifor, A. E., Rees, H. V., Steffenson, A., Hlongwa-Madikizela, L., MacPhail, C., Vermaak, K., et al. (2004). HIV and sexual behaviour among young South Africans: A national survey of 15–24 year-olds. Johannesburg: University of the Witwatersrand, Reproductive Health Research Unit.

  • Reddy, S. P., Panday, S., Swart, D., Jinabhai, C. C., Amosun, S. L., James, S., Monyeki, K. D., Stevens, G., Morejele, N., Kambaran, N. S., Omardien, R. G., and Van den Borne, H. W. (2003). Umthenthe Uhlaba Usamila—The South African Youth Risk Behaviour Survey 2002. Cape Town: South African Medical Research Council.

  • Scott, S. J., and Mercer, M. A. (1994). Understanding cultural obstacles to HIV/AIDS prevention in Africa. AIDS Education and Prevention, 6, 81–89.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Staton, M., Leukefeld, C., Logan, T., Zimmerman, R., Lynam, D., Milich, R. & Martin, C. (1999). Risky sexual behavior and substance use among young adults. Health and Social Work, 24, 147–154.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Van Dyk, A. C. (2001). Traditional African beliefs and customs: Implications for AIDS education and prevention in Africa. South African Journal of Psychology, 31, 60–66.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The research was supported, in part, by grant # P50DA10075, from the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

Author information

Affiliations

  1. The Pennsylvania State University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

    Elias Mpofu PhD & Khalipha Bility

  2. University of Cape Town, Rondenbosch, South Africa

    Alan J. Flisher

  3. University of the North, Sovenga, South Africa

    Hans Onya

  4. Medical Research Council of South Africa, Tygerberg, South Africa

    Carl Lombard

  5. CRC, Department of Counseler Education, Counseling Psychology and Rehabilitation Services, The Pennsylvania State University, 329 CEDAR Building, University Park, 16802, USA

    Elias Mpofu PhD

Authors
  1. Elias Mpofu PhD
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Alan J. Flisher
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Khalipha Bility
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Hans Onya
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Carl Lombard
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Elias Mpofu PhD.

Additional information

An Initial draft of this article was presented at the 12th Annual Conference of the Society for Prevention Research at Quebec City, Canada, in May 2004

Rights and permissions

Reprints and Permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Mpofu, E., Flisher, A.J., Bility, K. et al. Sexual Partners in a Rural South African Setting1 . AIDS Behav 10, 399–404 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10461-005-9037-7

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10461-005-9037-7

KEY WORDS:

  • sexual partners
  • teenagers
  • rural
  • Africa