MSc (Med), Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, 2009 / Objective
The study examined the relationship between socioeconomic status (SES) and risky sexual
behaviour in young women living in the Limpopo Province of South Africa.
Methods
Quantitative data were drawn from the 2001–2005 Intervention with Microfinance and
Gender Equity Study. The analyses were restricted to 705 sexually active young women
aged 14–35 years. Logistic regression models were employed to assess the effect of
socioeconomic status (estimated from household asset index and employment status, on
risky sexual behaviours). Odds ratios (OR), adjusted odds ratios (AOR) and 95%
confidence intervals (CI) are reported.
Results
After controlling for the potential confounding effects of wealth perception, age, level of
education, marital status, birth control and HIV knowledge; there was no statistically
significant association between asset index, or employment status and most of the risky
sexual behaviours. However, students were significantly more likely to have experienced
first sex at or before age 17 years (AOR: 3.80, 95% CI: 2.63, 6.11), and significantly less
likely to have had more than three lifetime sex partners (AOR: 0.47, 95% CI: 0.29, 0.78).
Discussion
Given that age had emerged as a definite predictor of the sexual behaviours that were
significantly associated with being a student, and that 75% of the students were aged 14-19
years, it is possible that the associations may be due to an age effect, or a cohort effect.
That aside, the results suggest that women in general are equally at risk of HIV infection,
hence further research is needed to determine other factors that enhance young rural
women’s vulnerability to HIV/AIDS.
Conclusion
The study did not show any strong evidence to suggest that socio-economic status is
associated with risky sexual behaviour. The findings underscore the need to re-examine the
assumption that poverty drives risky sexual behaviour so that efforts to ensure that HIV
prevention messages get across all strata of society. However, it is possible that SES as
used in this study did not differentiate people well enough to be able to identify factors
associated with risky sexual behaviour. It is recommended that more research be done to
establish how other major factors besides wealth may enhance the vulnerability of women
to HIV/AIDS. The current study however contributes to the growing evidence that the
relationship between wealth and HIV/AIDS is either exaggerated or is very complex and
should be considered when designing new policies, programs and interventions to alleviate
the growing HIV incidence
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:wits/oai:wiredspace.wits.ac.za:10539/8094 |
| Date | 20 April 2010 |
| Creators | Nyamboli, Mirabel Akwa |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | application/pdf, application/pdf |
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