title: Sexual risk behaviours and sexual health outcomes among heterosexual black Caribbeans: comparing sexually transmitted infection clinic attendees and national probability survey respondents.
abstract: We compared sociodemographic characteristics, sexual risk behaviours and sexual health experiences of 266 heterosexual black Caribbeans recruited at a London sexual health clinic between September 2005 and January 2006 with 402 heterosexual black Caribbeans interviewed for a British probability survey between May 1999 and August 2001. Male clinic attendees were more likely than men in the national survey to report: ≥10 sexual partners (lifetime; adjusted odds ratio [AOR]: 3.27, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.66-6.42), ≥2 partners (last year; AOR: 5.40, 95% CI: 2.64-11.0), concurrent partnerships (AOR: 3.26, 95% CI: 1.61-6.60), sex with partner(s) from the Caribbean (last 5 years; AOR: 7.97, 95% CI: 2.42-26.2) and previous sexually transmitted infection (STI) diagnosis/diagnoses (last 5 years; AOR: 16.2, 95% CI: 8.04-32.6). Similar patterns were observed for women clinic attendees, who also had increased odds of termination of pregnancy (AOR: 3.25, 95% CI: 1.87-5.66). These results highlight the substantially higher levels of several high-risk sexual behaviours among UK black Caribbeans attending a sexual health clinic compared with those in the general population. High-risk individuals are under-represented in probability samples, and it is therefore important that convenience samples of high-risk individuals are performed in conjunction with nationally representative surveys to fully understand the risk behaviours and sexual health-care needs of ethnic minority communities.
authors.affiliation: Department of HIV/GU Medicine, Division of Immunology, Infection and Inflammatory Diseases, Kings College London, UK. s.gerver@imperial.ac.uk
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Gerver
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Easterbrook
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Anderson
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Solarin
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Elam
authors.forename: K A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Fenton
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Garnett
authors.forename: C H
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Mercer
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D044383:Black People; D017691:Caribbean Region / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D020010:Heterosexuality / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008131:London / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012749:Sexually Transmitted Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult