III. Multiple Sexual Partners among Blacks in High-Risk Cities

Abstract

The National AIDS Behavioral Surveys collected data between June 1990 and February 1991 on the prevalence of multiple sex partners and condom use among 2, 166 blacks living in cities with a high prevalence of AIDS cases. Almost one-fifth (19%) of respondents report having had two or more partners in the year preceding the survey. More men (30%) than women (10%), and more single (25%) than married or cohabiting adults (8%), report that they have had multiple sexual partners in the previous year. Although respondents are more likely to use condoms with secondary than main sexual partners, substantial proportions of blacks with multiple sex partners used no condoms in the previous year with either their main (47%) or their secondary partners (35%).Data from several studies suggest that Black heterosexual men and women in the U.S. are ten times more likely to be diagnosed with AIDS than are White men and women. U.S. National AIDS Behavioral Surveys data collected June 1990 - February 1991 offer insight into the prevalence of multiple sex partners and condom use among Blacks in cities with high prevalence of AIDS cases. The authors present findings from telephone interviews with 2166 self-described Black heterosexuals aged 18-49 years. 63% of the sample was female and 37% was male. 56% had more than 12 years of formal education. 19% of respondents reported having had two or more partners in the year before the survey. Of those reporting having multiple sex partners in the previous year, 30% of men did so compared to 10% of women, along with 25% of single individuals compared to 8% of married or cohabiting adults. Respondents were more likely to use condoms with secondary than main sex partners. More precisely and respectively, 47% and 35% of Blacks with multiple sex partners used no condoms in the previous year with their main and secondary partners. Efforts are therefore urgently needed to increase the prevalence of condom use in the interest of reducing the incidence of HIV infection in such communities.