Coital Frequency and Condom Use in Monogamous and Concurrent Sexual Relationships in Cape Town; South Africa

ABSTRACT

The importance of concurrency (overlapping sexual partnerships in which sexual intercourse with one partner occurs between two acts of intercourse with another partner) in driving HIV transmission in hyperendemic settings remains controversial. A modelling study concluded that the role of concurrency in accelerating the spread of HIV is dramatically reduced by coital dilution (the reduction in frequency of sex acts per sexual partner; as a result of acquiring additional partners). We recently examined self-reported data on coital frequency and condom use during monogamous and concurrent relationship episodes from a survey in three communities with a high HIV prevalence. A key question in our analysis was if there is evidence for coital dilution and/or increased condom use during episodes of concurrency