Early sexual debut among young men in rural South Africa: heightened vulnerability to sexual risk?
OBJECTIVE
This report examines early sexual debut (<age 15) among young men in rural South Africa including (1) risk behaviours at first sexual experience, and (2) age at first sex as a predictor of later sexual risk.


METHODS
Analysis of sexual behaviour data for men 15-24 years (n = 314) from representative cross sectional household survey.


RESULTS
13.1% of 15-24 year old men experienced sexual debut before age 15. Men with sexual debut at less than age 15 were more likely to report risk behaviours at first sexual experience: no condom use (19%), a casual partner (26.8%), and not feeling they had been "ready and wanted to have sex" (19.5%). In multivariate analysis, early sexual debut was strongly associated with > or = 3 partners in the past 3 years (OR = 10.26, p<0.01).


CONCLUSIONS
Men who initiate sex before age 15 form a distinct risk group in this setting. Specific interventions are needed for young men in the pre-teen years, before sexual debut.
Harrison
A
A
Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine and Population Studies and Training Center, Brown UniversityPO Box 1836, Providence, RI 02912, USA. harrisoa@mrc.ac.za
Cleland
J
J
Gouws
E
E
Frohlich
J
J
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D002648:Child; D003075:Coitus; D017280:Condoms / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D012725:Sexual Behavior / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012747:Sexual Partners; D013019:South Africa; D047568:Unsafe Sex / Q000706:statistics & numerical data