Factors Associated with Multiple Sexual Partnerships among Young Women in Southern African Countries: A Pooled Multilevel Analysis

Stephina Mbele, North-West University

Multiple sexual partnerships (MSP) are one of the sexual behaviours that predispose young women to different negative outcomes, including sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Multiple sexual partnerships are common across the world, although common but vary from one country to another. Various studies have reported varying prevalences of MSP globally, although the highest was reported in Southern African countries. This study focuses on young women (defined as those aged 15-24) and used cross-sectional secondary data from the Demographic and Health Surveys of six countries in Southern Africa (Lesotho, Namibia, Malawi, South Africa, Zambia, and Zimbabwe). The analysis showed that the overall prevalence of multiple sexual partnerships was 2.2% for the selected countries, and it differed by country. The findings showed some variation in multiple sexual partnerships across communities. The findings from the multilevel logistic regression (MLR) revealed that multiple sexual partnerships were high among women who were never married, no longer married, women with lower levels of education, and women who were employed. In addition, higher odds of multiple sexual partners were found among women who had an STI, women from rich households, and women residing in Lesotho and South Africa.

Keywords: Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights, Children, Adolescents, and Youth, Multi-level modeling

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