Sexually Transmitted Diseases
Volume 34, Issue 5, 2007, Pages 265-273

Sexual risk behavior of married men and women in Bangladesh associated with husbands' work migration and living apart (Article)

Mercer A.* , Khanam R. , Gurley E. , Azim T.
  • a International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (ICDDR, B) Centre for Health and Population Research, Dhaka, Bangladesh, Health Systems and Infectious Diseases Division, ICDDR, B Centre for Health and Population Research, Mohakali, Dhaka 1000, Bangladesh
  • b International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (ICDDR, B) Centre for Health and Population Research, Dhaka, Bangladesh
  • c International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (ICDDR, B) Centre for Health and Population Research, Dhaka, Bangladesh
  • d International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (ICDDR, B) Centre for Health and Population Research, Dhaka, Bangladesh

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to ascertain the prevalence of sexual risk behavior among married men and women who had, or had not, lived apart from their spouse as a result of the husbands' work migration. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among a random sample of 1,175 married women and 703 married men in 2 rural areas of Bangladesh. RESULTS: Extramarital sex was reported by 64.2% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 58.7-69.7) of 296 men and 8.6% (95% CI = 7.6-9.6) of 779 women who had lived apart from their spouse, 2 to 3 times higher than the proportions among those who had not lived apart (P <0.05). The proportions of men who reported sex with a female sex worker (50.7%; 95% CI = 45.0-56.4) or with another male (5.4%; 95% CI = 2.8-8.0), while living away, were double the proportions reporting they had done so before living away or among men who had not lived away (P <0.05). Only 2 men had ever used had a condom during sex with another male, and less than one third of men had used a condom during sex with a sex worker or during marital sex. CONCLUSIONS: The sexual risk behavior of married men living away from home may put themselves and their wives at risk for HIV infection and other sexually transmitted diseases. © Copyright 2007 American Sexually Transmitted Diseases Association.

Author Keywords

[No Keywords available]

Index Keywords

rural area sexual behavior Human immunodeficiency virus infection Spouses married man married woman human middle aged condom work controlled study sexually transmitted disease Cross-Sectional Studies Sexually Transmitted Diseases Confidence interval marriage cross-sectional study Humans Adolescent male female spouse prostitution prevalence Article high risk behavior Risk-Taking Questionnaires adult migration infection risk Bangladesh Transients and Migrants health survey
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-34248201226&doi=10.1097%2f01.olq.0000240384.61924.65&partnerID=40&md5=66621a4b1bbab50e3d1c1a3adc6f1ae2
DOI: 10.1097/01.olq.0000240384.61924.65
ISSN: 01485717
Cited by: 37
Original Language: English