Prevalence and Correlates of Heterosexual Anal Intercourse Among Clients Attending Public STD Clinics in Los Angeles County

Recent heterosexual anal intercourse (AI) "was reported by a non-trivial proportion of clients seen at public STD clinics" in this study, which was set in Los Angeles County, Calif.

To identify demographic and behavioral correlates of heterosexual AI and its associations with STDs among the clients, the researchers conducted a cross-sectional study of patients attending 13 public STD clinics in the county. Data on demographics, types of sexual contact, substance use, other risk behaviors, and STD test results were collected.

AI with an opposite-sex partner in the previous 90 days was reported by 10 percent of heterosexual men (n=1,978) and 10 percent of women (n=1,364). Women who reported AI were more likely to report exchanging sex for drugs or money (adjusted odds ratio=2.80; 95 percent confidence interval: 1.95-4.02) and substance use (AOR=1.35; 95 percent CI: 1.17-1.55) and were less likely to be African American (AOR=0.53; 95 percent CI: 0.43-0.65). Among male participants, African Americans were less likely to report heterosexual AI (AOR=0.70; CI: 0.60-0.82). Compared to white men, Hispanic men were more likely to report heterosexual AI (AOR=1.50; 95 percent CI: 1.29-1.76). Among men, other factors associated with AI were exchange of drugs/money for sex, anonymous sex, and sex with a drug injector. Among men and women alike, factors associated with AI varied by race/ethnicity.

In their conclusion, the authors noted that study participants "who reported AI were also more likely to report risk behaviors that place them at high risk for transmitting or acquiring [STDs]/HIV."

Back to other news for December 2010