Concurrent Sexual Relationships Research Articles

Perceived “Out of Control” Sexual Behavior in a Cohort of Young Adults from the Dunedin Multidisciplinary Health and Development Study

Out of control sexual behavior, also known as compulsive sexual behavior or sexual addiction, has not been studied in a representative sample of the general population. At age 32 years, 940 (93%) of 1,015 members of the birth cohort of the Dunedin Multidisciplinary Health and Development Study responded to a series of questions about sexual behavior, administered by computer. We enquired about sexual fantasies, urges or behavior that participants regarded as out of control during the previous year, and defined such experiences as out of control sexual experiences (OCSE). Nearly 13% of men and 7% of women reported OCSE in the past year. Women who reported such experiences were more likely than other women to have reported (elsewhere in the interview) having had high numbers of opposite sex partners, concurrent sexual relationships, or sex with a partner met on the internet, as well as a higher likelihood of same-sex attraction or behavior. Among men reporting OCSE, there was an association with having paid for heterosexual sex and with same-sex attraction and behavior. Few believed that OCSE had interfered with their lives (3.8% of all men and 1.7% of all women in the cohort). Only 0.8% of men and 0.6% of women reported that their actual sexual behavior had interfered with their lives. OCSE were also analyzed in relation to certain personality traits and to childhood sexual abuse (CSA). Some evidence of a link with impulsivity (women only) and negative affectivity was found. CSA was associated with OCSE among men. In conclusion, this population-based study has provided the first empirical estimations of the occurrence of OCSE and its relationship to a range of sexual behaviors in a representative sample.

Estimating HIV Prevalence and Risk Behaviors Among High-Risk Heterosexual Men With Multiple Sex Partners: Use of Respondent-Driven Sampling

To collect HIV data from high-risk men who have multiple, younger, female sex partners in a periurban township in South Africa. Unlinked anonymous cross-sectional survey using respondent-driven sampling. Survey conducted among men aged 18 years or older who reported having had sex with more than 1 female partner in the previous 3 months (one of whom was either 3 or more years younger than the participant or below the age of 24) and lived in the area of recruitment. The median age of the 421 recruited men was 28 years (range: 18-62 years). They reported a median of 6 sexual partners (range: 2-39) during the past 3 months, and 51% (confidence interval: 45.0 to 59.6) reported inconsistent condom use with their casual partners. During the 3 months before the survey, 98% of men reported having concurrent sexual relationships. HIV prevalence was 12.3% (confidence interval: 8.3% to 16.9%). Being older than 24 years and not using a condom during the last sexual intercourse with a 1-time sexual partner were significantly associated with HIV infection. This group of heterosexual urban men practice high levels of risky sexual behavior and are an important group that require more targeted HIV surveillance and prevention interventions.

The role of concurrent sexual relationships in the spread of sexually transmitted infections in young South Africans

We still do not know why the HIV prevalence in southern and eastern Africa is an order of magnitude higher than anywhere else in the world. An article in this journal in 2007 argued that a key determinant was not so much the lifetime numbers of sexual partnerships, but rather the high proportion of these partnerships that are arranged concurrently. Concurrency has been associated with elevated rates of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) elsewhere, but this relationship has never been demonstrated in an African setting, where its effect is proposed to be greatest. We conducted a secondary data analysis from a representative survey of 14 - 25-year-olds living in Cape Town to test the hypothesis that concurrency is associated with self-reported symptoms of an STI. On logistic multiple regression analysis we found a modest but statistically significant relationship between self-reported STI symptoms and having had a partner who engaged in concurrency.

Geoff Foster: paediatrician remaining hopeful in Zimbabwe

Geoff Foster: paediatrician remaining hopeful in Zimbabwe

HIV and Sexual Behavior Among Young People: The South African Paradox

HIV and Sexual Behavior Among Young People: The South African Paradox

In Their Own Voices

This study qualitatively examines the intersections of risk for intimate partner violence (IPV) and HIV infection in South Africa. Eighteen women seeking services for relationship violence were asked semistructured questions regarding their abusive experiences and HIV risk. Participants had experienced myriad forms of abuse, which reinforced each other to create a climate that sustained abuse and multiplied HIV risk. Male partners having multiple concurrent sexual relationships, and poor relationship communication compounded female vulnerability to HIV and abuse. A social environment of silence, male power, and economic constraints enabled abuse to continue. "Breaking the silence" and women's empowerment were suggested solutions.

Investigating ethnic differences in sexual health: focus groups with young people

Objectives: To compare normative beliefs about sexual health in young men and women from black Caribbean, black African, and white ethnic groups in order to better understand ethnic inequalities in...

The role of sequential and concurrent sexual relationships in the risk of sexually transmitted diseases among adolescents

Purpose To explore whether patterns of sexual relationships, such as sequential (nonoverlapping in time) or concurrent (overlapping in time), are more important indicators of sexually transmitted disease (STD) risk among adolescents than number of sexual partners. Methods Data from 4707 sexually active adolescents from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health were analyzed based on reported heterosexual relationships during the past 18 months. Adolescents were categorized as engaging in single, sequential, or concurrent sexual relationships. Demographic, behavioral, and social characteristics of each group were compared and multivariate logistic models were fit to determine STD risk associated with sexual relationship patterns and overall number of sexual partners during this same time period. Results Thirty-five percent of sexually active teens had more than one partner in the past 18 months, and 40% of these multiple partnerships were overlapping or concurrent in time. Teens in sequential and concurrent relationships reported lower condom use and a higher degree of regret of having sex owing to alcohol use than those in single relationships. Teens in concurrent relationships also reported the lowest self-efficacy to use contraceptives. Teens in sequential or concurrent relationships were more likely to report an STD than single-relationship teens (odds ratio 2.3 and 3.9, respectively); however, they were not statistically different from each other. Number of sexual partners during this same time period was not associated with STD risk once relationship pattern was considered. Conclusion Adolescents who engage in sequential or concurrent sexual relationships differ in some important demographic, behavioral, and social characteristics and, when compared with those who engage in single relationships, have a significantly greater risk for STDs over and above the number of sexual partners.

Heterosexual gonorrhoea at St Thomas'--II: Sexual behaviour and sources of infection.

This paper examines sexual behaviour in heterosexuals presenting to an inner-London genitourinary medicine (GUM) clinic with gonorrhoea. When comparing patients' documented sexual histories, there were notable differences between cases and a control group, especially in men. Male cases were more likely to have had both multiple sexual partners (chi 2 = 18.5, P < 0.001) and concurrent sexual relationships (chi 2 = 15.2, P < 0.001) in the 30 days preceding presentation. Unlike cases, male controls were more likely to have used a condom at last intercourse with a 'casual' partner (chi 2 = 17.5, P < 0.001). In an examination of the sources of infection in cases, women were far more likely to have been recipients of gonorrhoea than they were to transmit the infection. The source of their infection was most usually a regular sexual partner. In men, 'casual' and 'regular' partners and 'one night stands' were all important sources of infection. Our hypothesis that case patients would have met the sources of their infection in particular venues was not supported by the results of an original questionnaire survey.