Racial origin, sexual lifestyle, and genital infection among women attending a genitourinary medicine clinic in London (1992).
OBJECTIVE
To compare variables of sexual behaviour and incidence of genital infections among women of different racial origins and lifestyles.


METHODS
A prospective cross sectional study of sexual behaviour reported by a standardised self administered questionnaire in new patients who presented for screening and diagnosis.


METHODS
A genitourinary medicine clinic in west London.


METHODS
1084 consecutive women newly attending in 1992.


METHODS
Variables relating to sociodemographic status, sexual lifestyle, condom use, sexually transmitted diseases, and other genital infections stratified by racial origin.


RESULTS
There were 948 evaluable women, of whom 932 (98.3%) were heterosexual and 16 (1.7%) were lesbian. Previous heterosexual intercourse was reported by 69% of lesbian women and their most frequent diagnosis was bacterial vaginosis (38%). The majority of heterosexual women were white (78%) and 16% were black. The black women were more likely to be teenagers (18% cf 8%; p = 0.0004) or students (28% cf 15%; p = 0.0008), and to have had an earlier coitarche (48% cf 38% before aged 17; p < 0.004). They also had a higher proportion of pregnancies (58% cf 38%; p < 0.00001) and births (38% cf 20%; p < 0.00001). The white women showed significantly more sexual partners during the preceding year (p = 0.004) and in total (p < 0.00001) and more reported non-regular partners (48% cf 35%; p = 0.004) with whom they were more likely to use condoms (p = 0.009). However, the black women were more likely to have gonorrhoea (7% cf 2% p < 0.0003), chlamydial infection (12% cf 5% p < 0.002), trichomoniasis (10% cf 2% p < 0.00001), or to sexual contacts of men with non-gonococcal urethritis (19% cf 12% p < 0.02). They were less likely to have genital warts (3% cf 12% p = 0.002). Logistic regression showed that all these variables were independently associated with the black women. The Asian women (2%), none of whom had a sexually transmitted disease, had commenced intercourse later (mean 19.7 years) than both black women (mean 16.8 years) and white women (mean 17.6 years).


CONCLUSIONS
Sexual intercourse commenced approximately 1 year earlier in the black women, who were more likely to have become pregnant, had children, and to have acquired a bacterial sexually transmitted infection than were the white women.
Evans
B A
BA
Department of Genitourinary Medicine, Charing Cross Hospital, London.
Kell
P D
PD
Bond
R A
RA
MacRae
K D
KD
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000554:Ambulatory Care Facilities; D001208:Asia / Q000208:ethnology; D044383:Black People; D003268:Contraception Behavior / Q000208:ethnology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005831:Genital Diseases, Female / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology*; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000208:ethnology; D018452:Homosexuality, Female / Q000208:ethnology; D006801:Humans; D008131:London / Q000453:epidemiology; D008572:Menarche / Q000208:ethnology; D010298:Parity; D011247:Pregnancy; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012725:Sexual Behavior / Q000208:ethnology*; D012749:Sexually Transmitted Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology*; D012907:Smoking / Q000208:ethnology; D044465:White People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data