Sociodemographic drivers of multiple sexual partnerships among women in three rural districts of Tanzania

Abstract

Background

This study examines prevalence and correlates of multiple sexual partnerships (MSP) among women aged 15+ years in Rufiji, Kilombero, and Ulanga districts of Tanzania.

Materials and methods

Data were collected in a cross-sectional household survey in Rufiji, Kilombero, and Ulanga districts in Tanzania in 2011. From the survey, a total of 2,643 sexually active women ages 15+ years were selected for this analysis. While the chi-square test was used for testing association between MSP and each of the independent variables, logistic regression was used for multivariate analysis.

Results

Number of sexual partners reported ranged from 1 to 7, with 7.8% of the women reporting multiple sexual partners (2+) in the past year. MSP was more likely among both ever married women (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] =3.83, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.40–10.49) and single women (AOR =6.13, 95% CI 2.45–15.34) than currently married women. There was an interaction between marital status and education, whereby MSP was 85% less likely among single women with secondary or higher education compared to married women with no education (AOR =0.15, 95% CI 0.03–0.61). Furthermore, women aged 40+ years were 56% less likely compared to the youngest women (<20 years) to report MSP (AOR =0.44, 95% CI 0.24–0.80). The odds of MSP among Muslim women was 1.56 times as high as that for Christians women (AOR =1.56, 95% CI 1.11–2.21). Ndengereko women were 67% less likely to report MSP compared to Pogoro women (AOR =0.33, 95% CI 0.18–0.59).

Conclusion

Eight percent of the women aged 15+ in Rufiji, Kilombero, and Ulanga districts of Tanzania are engaged in MSP. Encouraging achievement of formal education, especially at secondary level or beyond, may be a viable strategy toward partner reduction among unmarried women. Age, religion, and ethnicity are also important dimensions for partner reduction efforts.

Keywords:

• HIV/AIDS
• transmission
• Rufiji
• Kilombero
• Ulanga

Acknowledgments

Connect Project which collected these data is funded by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation (DDCF) and Comic Relief. A version of the abstract of this manuscript was accepted for presentation as a poster at the STI and AIDS World Congress, July 14–17, 2013 in Vienna, Austria. However, for some reasons the abstract was not presented at the congress. The abstract was later published in the journal Sexually Transmitted Infections.⁴² It was a requirement that all accepted abstracts for that Congress – even if not presented – would be published in this journal.

We are greatly thankful to the District councils of Rufiji, Kilombero, and Ulanga and the communities from which the data were collected. Field data collectors, field supervisors, and all the participants are especially acknowledged for the role each one played to make the survey a success. Special appreciations are extended to Anna Larsen of Columbia University for proofreading the manuscript.

Author contributions

All authors contributed toward data analysis, drafting and revising the paper and agree to be accountable for all aspects of the work.

Disclosure

The authors report no conflicts of interests in this work.