Holistic interventions are required in order to address the risky behaviours, and consequently reduce sexually transmitted infections and/or unintended pregnancies.ĭespite several intervention programmes to curb the spread of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), such as HIV, in South Africa, risky sexual behaviours among women of reproductive age remain a public health concern. ConclusionĮxposure to physical partner violence and poor partner discussions about condoms are key deterrents to condom usage.

However, women who were exposed to physical partner violence (hitting and/or slapping), those who had been diagnosed with HIV and those whose sexual partners were diagnosed with HIV, did not show a significant association with condom use at last sex. Older women ( p = 0.035) were more likely to have used a condom at last sex, compared to younger women. This study found that women who had talked about condoms with their partner in the past 12 months were more likely (p = < 0.0001) to have used condoms during their last sexual intercourse. The majority were single (88.96%) and the unemployed accounted for 53.50%.

More than half (51.80%) of the women were aged 18–24 years and only a handful (18.26%) had a tertiary qualification. A Pearson Chi-square tests and logistic regression models (bivariate and multivariate) were employed to assess the level of the association between the predictor and outcome variables and the p-value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Data were coded, entered into Epi Data Manager and exported to Stata for analysis.

In a cross-sectional study, 471 women of reproductive age (18–49 years, mean: 25.83) in 10 public health clinics in Umlazi Township, responded to a structured questionnaire. The aim of this study was to investigate the predictors of risky sexual behaviours among women of reproductive age in a high HIV-burden township in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Despite several intervention programmes in South Africa, risky sexual behaviours among women of reproductive age remain a public health concern, making them vulnerable to unintended pregnancies and/or sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection.

Township medical clinics south africa