Sexual activity and condom use in Lusaka, Zambia
Agha, S.
International Family Planning Perspectives 24(1): 32-37
1998
ISSN/ISBN: 0190-3187 DOI: 10.2307/2991917Document Number: 268272
The 1996 Lusaka Sexual Behavior and Condom Use Survey gathered data on sexual activity in Lusaka from 806 respondents; multiple regression analysis was performed to identify factors that predicted men's and women's condom use. Most respondents reported that their most recent intercourse was with their marital partner (62% of women and 43% of men) or with a regular partner (20% of women and 23% of men); almost one quarter of men (24%), however, reported having last had intercourse with a casual partner. Overall, 17% of women and 24% of men had used a condom at last intercourse. Multivariate logistic regression analysis found that women whose last intercourse was with a regular or casual partner rather than a marital partner were significantly more likely (odds ratios, 2.8 and 3.1, respectively) to have used a condom, as were those who recalled hearing a social marketing advertising message for condoms (2.8). For men, use of condoms was elevated among those who were younger than 30 (odds ratios, 3.3-3.8), who had an education beyond the secondary level (2.2) and who had easy access to condoms (1.9). Because of gender inequity, programmes directed at men are more likely to succeed in encouraging condom use than are those aimed at developing women's skills in negotiating condom use.