title: Demographic characteristics of heterosexuals with multiple partners: the National AIDS Behavioral Surveys.
abstract: In a study of risk behavior among heterosexuals, 9% of a national sample and 12% of a sample drawn from high-risk cities report having two or more sexual partners in the year before the survey. In both samples, sex with multiple partners is most common among men, younger people and the unmarried. Multivariate analyses show that racial and ethnic differences in the proportion of respondents with multiple partners vary by marital status. The results indicate that many heterosexuals are failing to protect themselves against sexually transmitted diseases: Among respondents with multiple partners, only 18% of men and 22% of women always use condoms with their primary partner, and 28% of men and 32% of women always use them with secondary partners. These proportions do not increase significantly with the number of partners; in general, almost half of men and women with multiple partners never use condoms.
authors.affiliation: Center for AIDS Prevention Studies, University of California at San Francisco.
authors.forename: M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Dolcini
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Catania
authors.forename: T J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Coates
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Stall
authors.forename: E S
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Hudes
authors.forename: J H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Gagnon
authors.forename: L M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Pollack
mesh_terms: D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000635:transmission*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D017280:Condoms / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D015528:HIV Seroprevalence / Q000639:trends; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D012725:Sexual Behavior; D012747:Sexual Partners; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D014505:Urban Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data