Table 1. Prevalence of sexual behaviors, condom use and circumcision by race in three South African surveys – CAPS (Cape Area Panel Survey) 2005 and DHS (Demographic and Health Survey) 1998 and 2003.
| CAPS 2005 | DHS 1998 | DHS 2003 | |||||||||
| Men | Black | Coloured | White | Black | Coloured | White | Indian | Black | Coloured | White | Indian |
| n | 836 | 897 | 181 | 2327 | 348 | 156 | 282 | ||||
| Age – mean years (95% CI) | 21.2 (21.0–21.4) | 20.7 (20.5–20.9)*** | 20.3 (19.9–20.6)*** | 31.08 (30.53–31.63) | 33.43 (31.67–35.24) | 35.43 (32.57–38.30)** | 36.18 (34.29–38.08)*** | ||||
| Ever had sex - % (95% CI) | 86.2 (83.5–88.4) | 66.8 (62.5–70.9)*** | 49.5 (39.8–59.1)*** | 81.5 (79.5–83.4) | 79.7 (71.7–85.9) | 84.3 (76.8–90.0) | 82.9 (75.0–88.7) | ||||
| Age of debut - mean years (95% CI) | 15.5 (15.3–15.8) | 16.4 (16.1–16.6)*** | 17.5 (16.9–18.1)*** | 17.4 (17.2–17.6) | 17.2 (16.8–17.7) | 18.5 (17.8–19.1)** | 18.3 (17.9–18.8)*** | ||||
| % with more than one sex partners in last 12 months (95% CI) a | 33.4 (29.7–37.3) | 19.7 (15.9–24.1)** | 14.2 (7.0–26.4)** | 16.0 (13.9–18.3) | 8.2 (4.9–13.6)* | 4.9 (2.1–11.2)** | 9.4 (6.3–13.9)* | ||||
| Mean/median no. sex partners in last 12 months (95% CI) a | 1.4/1 (1.3–1.5) | 1.2/1 (1.1–1.3)** | 1.1/1 (0.9–1.3)** | 1.05/1 (0.99–1.11) | 0.94/1 (0.84–1.05) | 0.91/1 (0.82–1.00) | 1.02/1 (0.84–1.21) | ||||
| Mean no. lifetime sex partners (95% CI) a | 2.9 (2.7–3.1) | 2.7 (2.3–3.1) | 2.6 (1.5–3.6) | ||||||||
| Age gap -% (95% CI) a , b | 7.8 (5.8–10.5) | 6.0 (4.2–8.5) | 5.1 (1.5–16.3) | ||||||||
| Concurrency - % (95% CI) a | 34.2 (30.6–38.1) | 13.4 (10.8–16.5)*** | 2.1 (0.5–7.8)*** | 9.2 (7.1–12.0) | 6.5 (2.7–14.8) | 2.0 (0.3–12.5) | 1.4 (0.3–5.6)** | ||||
| Condom use - % (95% CI) a | 79.2 (74.8–82.9) | 61.6 (56.4–66.5)*** | 80.4 (63.3–90.7) | 57.7 (54.6–60.8) | 42.1 (31.8–53.1)** | 70.1 (58.2–79.8) | 55.3 (48.4–62.1) | ||||
| Circumcision - % (95% CI) e | 92.2e | 32.0 | 18.0 | 50.2 (47.3–53.7) | 15.9 (10.6–23.0)*** | 21.7 (13.8–32.5)*** | 18.8 (12.8–26.7)*** | ||||
| Women | |||||||||||
| n | 683 | 783 | 156 | 8993 | 1533 | 755 | 393 | 5234 | 933 | 274 | 596 |
| Age – mean years (95% CI) | 21.2 (21.0–21.4) | 20.7 (20.5–20.9)*** | 20.5 (20.1–21.0)** | 29.1 (28.9–29.4) | 30.1 (29.5–30.8)** | 32.1 (31.2–33.1)*** | 31.2 (30.3–32.0)*** | 29.35 (29.05–29.64) | 30.49 (29.84–31.14)** | 32.87 (31.59–34.15)*** | 32.55 (31.49–33.61)*** |
| Ever had sex - % (95% CI) | 89.7 (86.7–92.0) | 59.9 (55.7–64.0)*** | 57.4 (49.1–65.3)*** | 88.5 (87.5–89.3) | 81.2 (78.5–83.7)*** | 80.6 (76.4–84.3)*** | 75.2 (71.1–78.9)*** | 82.0 (80.6–83.4) | 79.4 (75.6–82.7) | 85.0 (78.4–89.9) | 53.0 (46.1–59.7)*** |
| Age of debut - mean years (95% CI) | 16.5 (16.4–16.7) | 17.5 (17.3–17.7)*** | 17.4 (16.9–17.9)*** | 17.2 (17.1–17.3) | 18.4 (18.1–18.6)*** | 19.3 (19.0–19.7)*** | 20.0 (19.4–20.6)*** | 15.0 (14.7–15.2) | 15.5 (14.9–16.1) | 16.9 (15.8–17.9)*** | 13.9 (12.6–15.1) |
| % with more than one sex partners in last 12 months (95% CI) a | 9.3 (7.5–11.6) | 2.8 (1.5–4.9)*** | 10.3 (4.9–20.3) | 4.2 (3.7–4.8) | 1.7 (1.0–2.9)** | 1.6 (0.7–3.4)** | 0.4 (0.05–2.4)** | 2.8 (2.3–3.5) | 1.5 (0.7–3.3) | 1.2 (0.3–1.4) | 0.5 (0.2–1.5)*** |
| Mean/median no. sex partners in last 12 months (95% CI) a | 1.05/1 (1.02–1.08) | 0.94/1 (0.9–0.97)*** | 1.16/1(1.03–1.29) | 1.03/1(1.02–1.04) | 1.01/1 (0.97–1.05) | 1.02/1(0.99–1.05) | 0.99/1 (0.95–1.03) | 0.7/1 (0.7–0.8) | 0.7/1 (0.6–0.7) | 0.7/1 (0.6–0.7) | 0.8/1 (0.8–0.9) |
| Mean no. lifetime sex partners (95% CI) a | 2.3 (2.2–2.4) | 1.5 (1.4–1.6) | 2.4 (1.9–2.8) | ||||||||
| Age gap -% (95% CI) a , b | 31.0 (27.7–34.4) | 27.6 (23.4–32.2) | 13.1 (6.9–23.3)** | 9.8 (7.7–12.3) | 7.5 (3.5–15.3) | 13.5 (4.7–32.8) | 6.4 (0.9–33.3) | ||||
| Concurrency -% (95% CI) a | 15.9d (13.4–18.7) | 1.7d (0.9–2.8)*** | 2.7d (1.0–7.2)*** | 0.8c (0.6–1.1) | 0.5c (0.2–1.5) | 0c | 0c | ||||
| Condom use -% (95% CI) a | 72.4 (68.8–75.8) | 39.0 (33.6–44.6)*** | 89.1 (75.0–95.8) | 12.6 (11.6–13.7) | 7.9 (6.0–10.5)** | 9.6 (6.8–13.4) | 6.5 (4.0–10.4)** | 35.9 (33.8–38.1) | 20.1 (14.8–26.8)*** | 26.2 (17.5–37.2) | 8.8 (6.2–12.4)*** |
*
P<0.01, **P<0.001, ***P<0.0001 (The P-values refer to comparisons between the each racial group and the black group within that same survey.
a
These analyses are limited to the individuals who are sexually experienced.
b
Age-gap refers to the respondents most recent sexual partner being 5 or more years older than the respondent. The only exception was the DHS 2003 survey where this gap was measured as 10 years.
c
The proportion reporting concurrent relationships in the DHS 1998 is limited to those who are unmarried.
d
Concurrency in the CAPS is a cumulative prevalence of concurrency in any of the last 10 sexual relationships as detailed in the methods section.