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Concurrent Sexual Partnerships Among Urban African American High-Risk Women With Main Sex Partners

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Abstract

To determine correlates of concurrent sexual partnerships among high-risk low-income urban African American women, survey responses of 337 women who had main sexual partners for over 6 months and reported high-risk behaviors were analyzed; 142 of these women also reported other sexual partnerships within the past 90 days. Unadjusted analyses showed that concurrency was significantly associated with relationship status, sexual debut, forced sex, incarceration of self and partners, depression, drug use, known or suspected partner nonmonogamy, and partner drug use. Age of sexual debut, relationship status, and indicators of problem drug use remained significantly associated with concurrency when controlling for individual factors, and only indicators of problem drug use and known or suspected partner nonmonogamy remained significantly associated with concurrency when also controlling for partner characteristics. Our results suggest the presence of extensive sexual networks within this population and document the need for interventions that address drug abuse and partnership instability. Moreover, the strong association between concurrency and perceptions of partners’ nonmonogamy suggest the need for intervention to target men and women in this core group.

Resumen

Para determinar los correlatos de parejas sexuales simultáneas entre las mujeres urbanas afroamericanas de alto riesgo con bajos ingresos, las respuestas a una encuesta de 337 mujeres que habían tenido parejas sexuales principales durante más de seis meses y reportado comportamiento de alto riesgo fueron analizadas; 142 de estas mujeres también informaron de otras asociaciones sexuales en los últimos 90 días. Los análisis no ajustados mostraron que la concurrencia se asoció significativamente con el estado civil, el debut sexual, relaciones sexuales forzadas, el encarcelamiento de estas mismas o de sus parejas, con la depresión, el consumo de drogas, las sospechas o conocimiento de la no monogamia de sus parejas, y el uso de drogas de sus parejas. La edad de iniciación sexual, el estado civil, y los indicadores de consumo problemático de drogas se mantuvieron asociados significativamente con la concurrencia cuando se controlaban factores individuales, y los únicos indicadores de consumo problemático de drogas y si se sabía o sospechaba de no monogamia con la pareja se mantuvieron asociados con la concurrencia cuando también se controlaban las características de la pareja. Nuestros resultados sugieren la presencia de extensas redes sexuales dentro de esta población y documentan la necesidad de intervenciones que apunten al abuso de drogas y la inestabilidad entre las parejas. Por otra parte, la fuerte asociación entre la concurrencia y la percepción de no monogamia entre parejas sugieren la necesidad de intervención para dirigirse a los hombres y mujeres en este grupo central.

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Acknowledgments

This work was funded by the National Institute on Mental Health (Grant# R01 MH66810).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Health, Behavior and Society, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 624 N. Broadway, Room 753, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA

    Suzanne M. Dolwick Grieb

  2. Department of Health, Behavior and Society, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 2213 McElderry Street, 2nd Floor, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA

    Melissa Davey-Rothwell

  3. Department of Health, Behavior and Society, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 624 N. Broadway, Room 737, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA

    Carl A. Latkin

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  1. Suzanne M. Dolwick Grieb
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Correspondence to Suzanne M. Dolwick Grieb.

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Grieb, S.M.D., Davey-Rothwell, M. & Latkin, C.A. Concurrent Sexual Partnerships Among Urban African American High-Risk Women With Main Sex Partners. AIDS Behav 16, 323–333 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10461-011-9954-6

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