Postpartum Sexual Abstinence and High Risk Sexual Behaviour Trends in African Settings
Current Trends in Disease and Health Vol. 1,
Page 30-37
Abstract
Aims: To determine the prevalence of high risk sexual behavior and its relationship to the duration of coital sexual abstinence in husbands of postpartum women.
Study Design: Cross sectional descriptive study.
Place and Duration of Study: Ikenne Local Government Area, in Ogun State, South Western Nigeria between, December 2014 and May 2015.
Methodology: Data were obtained with the aid of semi-structured interviewee administered questionnaire from 771 husbands of postpartum women using the multi-stage sampling technique.
Results: The prevalence of High risk sex in the population was 10.6%. The duration of coital sexual abstinence was the most important risk factor (P<.001), while previous extramarital sexual relationship (P<.001, OR=41.70, 95%CI=18.07-96.07) and husband’s knowledge of his own HIV status (P=.03, OR=1.71) were also significant determinants of this occurrence. Consistent condom use during unsafe sex was 6.1%, while STIs occurred in 3.7% of the participants. Significantly longer durations of coital abstinence (8.30 ± 6.24 months) were observed in men who were rural dwellers than in urban dwelling husbands (7.16 ± 6.01 months), P=.01. Violent behavior against the postpartum wife during the abstinence period was reported by 1.2% of the participants.
Conclusion: High risk male sexual behavior was a consequence of prolonged postpartum sexual abstinence and a predisposition to STIs among husbands of postpartum women.
Keywords:
- Postpartum
- male behavior
- unsafe sex
- networking
- HIV
- violence
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