Table 2. Psychosocial and sexual behaviours of STD clinics attendees who did and did not practice oral sex.
| Oral-sex group | No-oral-sex group | ||||||
| Characteristics | Subgroups | n | (%a) | n | (%) | OR (95% CI)b | P-value |
| HIV knowledge scale | Low (0–1)c | 9 | (15.0) | 302 | (37.2) | 1 | |
| Intermediate (2–3) | 28 | (46.7) | 232 | (28.6) | 4.05(1.88–8.75) | 0.000 | |
| High (4) | 19 | (31.7) | 258 | (31.8) | 2.47(1.10–5.56) | 0.029 | |
| Oral sex transmits STDs | Unsure/noc | 34 | (56.7) | 466 | (57.4) | 1 | |
| Possible | 26 | (43.3) | 338 | (41.6) | 1.05(0.62–1.79) | 0.845 | |
| STD risk awareness | Unsure/noc | 31 | (51.7) | 526 | (64.8) | 1 | |
| Possible | 25 | (41.7) | 276 | (34.0) | 1.54(0.89–2.66) | 0.123 | |
| HIV risk awareness | Unsure/noc | 54 | (90.0) | 777 | (95.7) | 1 | |
| Possible | 6 | (10.0) | 34 | (4.2) | 2.54(1.02–6.31) | 0.045 | |
| Age of first sex | ≥20c | 27 | (45.0) | 559 | (68.8) | 1 | |
| <20 | 33 | (55.0) | 239 | (29.4) | 2.86(1.68–4.86) | 0.000 | |
| Length of sexual activity | 1–6 yearsc | 19 | (1.7) | 259 | (31.9) | 1 | |
| 7–15 years | 25 | (41.7) | 263 | (32.4) | 1.30(0.70–2.41) | 0.413 | |
| >15 years | 16 | (26.7) | 276 | (34.0) | 0.79(0.40–1.57) | 0.501 | |
| Experienced non-consensual | Noc | 53 | (88.3) | 772 | (95.1) | 1 | |
| sex | Yes | 7 | (11.7) | 33 | (4.1) | 3.09(1.31–7.32) | 0.010 |
| History of unwanted | Noc | 35 | (58.3) | 580 | (71.4) | 1 | |
| pregnancy | Yes | 25 | (41.7) | 225 | (27.7) | 1.84(1.08–3.15) | 0.026 |
| History of STDsd | Noc | 43 | (71.7) | 637 | (78.4) | 1 | |
| Yes | 16 | (26.7) | 154 | (19.0) | 1.54(0.84–2.81) | 0.159 | |
| Number of lifetime sex | 1c | 6 | (10.0) | 263 | (32.5) | 1 | |
| partners | 2 | 7 | (11.7) | 220 | (27.2) | 1.40(0.46–4.21) | 0.555 |
| ≥3 | 40 | (66.7) | 294 | (36.4) | 5.96(2.49–14.29) | 0.000 | |
| Condom use lifetime | Never/rarelyc | 23 | (38.3) | 489 | (60.2) | 1 | |
| Sometimes/often | 35 | (58.3) | 295 | (36.3) | 2.52(1.46–4.35) | 0.001 | |
| Always | 2 | (3.3) | 23 | (2.8) | 1.85(0.41–8.32) | 0.423 | |
| Sexually active in last 6 | Noc | 1 | (1.7) | 125 | (15.4) | 1 | |
| months | Yes | 58 | (96.7) | 646 | (79.6) | 11.22(1.54–81.78) | 0.017 |
| STD-related symptomse in | Noc | 28 | (46.7) | 404 | (49.8) | 1 | |
| last 6 months | Yes | 32 | (53.3) | 392 | (48.3) | 1.18 (0.70–1.99) | 0.542 |
| Number of sex partners in | 1c | 17 | (29.3) | 416 | (64.6) | 1 | |
| last 6 months | 2 | 15 | (25.9) | 166 | (25.9) | 2.21(1.08–4.53) | 0.030 |
| ≥3 | 22 | (37.9) | 51 | (7.9) | 10.56(5.26–21.18) | 0.000 | |
| Condom use in last 6 | Never/rarelyc | 29 | (50.0) | 429 | (66.4) | 1 | |
| months | Sometimes/often | 26 | (44.8) | 183 | (28.3) | 2.10(1.20–3.67) | 0.009 |
| Always | 3 | (5.2) | 31 | (4.8) | 1.43(0.41–4.96) | 0.572 | |
a
The percentage of attendees may not add up to 100% due to non-response for some items.
b
OR: unadjusted odds ratio; CI: confidence interval.
c
Reference category.
d
STD mainly refers to gonorrhea, syphilis, chancroid, condyloma acuminatum, chlamydia, genital herpes, non-gonococcal urethritis, etc. in this research.
e
STD-related symptoms refers to such symptoms as feeling pain or burning during one’s micturition, abnormal sexual organ secretion, anal ulcer or pain, skin damage or neoplasm on sexual organs, etc. in this research.