Sexual behaviour of Cape Town high-school students
Flisher, A.J.; Reddy, P.; Muller, M.; Lombard, C.
South African Medical Journal 93(7): 537-541
2003
ISSN/ISBN: 0256-9574 PMID: 12939929 Document Number: 250373
Objectives: To document prevalence rates for selected aspects of sexual behaviour among Cape Town high school students and to conduct a survival analysis of age at first intercourse. Design: Cross-sectional survey. Setting: State high schools in Cape Town, South Africa. Subjects: A multistage cluster sample of 2740 grade 8 and 11 students at 39 schools. Outcome measures: Ever having had sexual intercourse; for those who had, age at first intercourse, number of partners during the previous 12 months, time since last intercourse; and, at last intercourse, whether the partner had been known for more than 7 days, whether any method was used to prevent pregnancy or disease, and (if so) what was used. Results: Overall, 29.9% had participated in sexual intercourse, with a higher proportion among males and those in grade 11. By the age of 14 years, 23.4% of males and 5.5% of females had participated in sexual intercourse. By the age of 19 years, these proportions were 71.8% and 58.2%, respectively. The median time since last intercourse was four weeks, the median number of partners in the past year was one, and 78.4% had known their most recent partner for more than seven days. At their last coital episode, 65.4% had used contraception, and the most common methods were condoms and injectable steroids, which were used by 67.7% and 43.2%, respectively. Conclusions: The proportion of sexually active students has increased since 1990. Intervention programmes should commence in primary school. Large numbers of students are at risk for pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections.