Contextual Determinants of Multiple Sexual Partnerships amongst Young People in South Africa: A Multilevel Analysis.

Nebechukwu Henry Ugwu, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg
Clifford Obby Odimegwu, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg

Risky sexual behaviour (RSB), particularly multiple sexual partnerships (MSP)continue to be a major public health concern, and have been linked to the increasing STIs, including HIV/AIDS in many parts of sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). However, in South Africa, this association is not well established in recent literatures. This study examined the contextual determinants of MSP among young people in South Africa. A cross-sectional study of 3889 unmarried youths was conducted using the 2016 SADHS. Descriptive and inferential statistics as well as multilevel logistic regression were used to analyse the data. The results indicated that at the individual level, young males (61.7%) were significantly more likely than their female counterparts (56.1%) to engage in multiple sexual partners, although, the difference was not as significant as expected. There is a need to intensify programmes aimed at considering appropriate policy options to reduce the prevalence of multiple sexual partnerships.