AIDS related knowledge and sexual behaviour among commercial farm residents in Zimbabwe.

OBJECTIVE

To describe sexual behaviour among residents of commercial farms in Zimbabwe, their gender-specific differences; to examine implications of these for HIV/AIDS transmission.

DESIGN

A cross sectional descriptive study.

SETTING

Three commercial farming communities near Harare, Zimbabwe.

SUBJECTS

Convenience sample of 218 adult (age 18+, or ever married) farm residents.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Number of sexual partners, secondary sexual relationships outside marriage, condom ever-use, first sexual partner, sexually transmitted disease (STD) experience, unprompted knowledge of HIV.

RESULTS

Knowledge of HIV transmission was high, with eight to 88% of respondents reporting various correct means of transmission. Males reported engaging in riskier behaviour than females, with 60% of currently married males (n = 81) reporting extra marital affairs compared to 4% of currently married females (n = 91) (OR: 4.02; 95% CI: 1.8 to 9.04). Males were more likely than females to report a second or further marriage (OR: 37.9; 95% CI: 16.01 to 92.1). Females were more likely than men to report first sexual partner as spouse. Fourteen percent of respondents had children of various ages outside their current union. Reported STD experiences under various circumstances were negligible with no differences by sex.

CONCLUSION

While HIV/AIDS prevention measures largely rely on individual behavioural change, preventive efforts should also encompass differences in sexual behaviour between categories like male and female. Importantly, this will determine composition of preventive policy, but also allow a clearer determination of trends based on the gender-specific behaviours. There is also need for more research work that attends to determinants of reporting behaviour beyond aspects of reported behaviour per se.