Multiple sex partners

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Multiple sex partners is the measure and incidence of engaging in sexual activities with two or more people within a specific time period. Sexual activity with MSP can happen simultaneously or serially. MSP includes sexual activity between people of a different gender or the same gender. A person can be said to have multiple sex partners, when the person have sex with more than one person at the same time. [1] Another term, polyamorous , is a behavior and not a measure describing multiple romantically sexually or romantically committed relationships at the same time. [2]

Contents

Young people having MSP in the last year is an indicator used by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to evaluate risky sexual behavior in adolescents and monitoring changes in the worldwide HIV/AIDS infection rates and deaths. [3]

Definitions and quantification

Epidemiologists and clinicians who quantify risks associated with MSP do so to identify those who have had sexual intercourse with more than one partner in the past 12 months. For the purposes of the World Health Organization (WHO)'s effort to eliminate HIV infection, quantifying measures progress in reducing the percentage of those with AIDS. The World Health Organization (WHO) has described their rationale by assuming that the spread of HIV in most locales depends upon the number of MSP. Those who have MSP possess a higher risk of HIV transmission than individuals that do not have multiple sex partners. [4]

WHO uses indicators, such as MSP, age, mortality, morbidity, geographical location and signs and symptoms of disease. This is done so that change can be measured and so that the effect of indicators can be assessed. [4]

Following the initial quantification of the number of MSP, the respondent is again surveyed three and then five years later. In addition to the survey, respondents' sexual histories are obtained. Analysis assists those conducting the study to verify and help define the term MSP. [4]

For the indicator MSP, WHO has defined a summary of what it measures, rationale for the indicator, numerator, denominator and calculation, recommended measurement tools, measurement, frequency, and the strengths and weaknesses of the indicator. [4]

WHO's definition of MSP has some strengths and weaknesses The quantification is an indicator and a picture of the levels of higher-risk sex in a locale. If those surveyed changed their activity to one sexual partner, the change will be quantified by changes in the indicator. This disadvantage is that though a respondent may reduce the number of MSP in a 12-month period, the indicator will not reflect this change in sexual activity. Even so, decreasing the number of MSP may not indicate a change. Potentially this definition and quantification may have a significant impact on the pandemic of HIV and used as a measure of program success. WHO recommends that additional indicators that quantify MSP more precisely to capture the reduction in multiple sexual partners in general. [4] [5] According to the CDC's Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System, having multiple sex partners has been quantified to mean that those greater than or equal to age 25 had four or more sexual partners in one year. [6]

Other examples

Epidemiologists in Tanzania used the indicator MSP in their study of AIDS incidence among 15-19-year-olds by documenting the respondent as being sexually active and having MSP in the last 12 months. [7]

Social history (medicine)

A complete medical history includes an assessment of the number sexual partners with which a person has had within a certain time period. [8]

A social history (abbreviated "SocHx") that part of a medical exam addressing familial, occupational, and recreational aspects of the patient's personal life that have the potential to be clinically important. [9] MSP is only the description of the behavior described in clinical terms. Promiscuity can mean that a moral judgement is made because some parts of societies promote sexual activity to occur only within exclusive, single-partner, committed relationships. [10] is often the way researchers define a society's promiscuity levels at any given time. MSP increases the risk of many diseases and other conditions.

The CDC in the past has quantified MSP for adolescents with the following descriptions:[ citation needed ]

Some clinicians define MSP by also taking into account concurrent sexual relationships. [12]

Research

The likelihood of developing substance abuse or dependence increases linearly with the number of sex partners, an effect more pronounced for women. People who have a higher number of sex partners do not have higher rates of anxiety or depression. [13] [14] A Durex Global Sex Survey found that men in New Zealand had claimed an average of 44 sex partners over their lifetime. [15]

Health risks

MSP increases the risk of developing bacterial vaginosis. [16] MSP can result in pregnant women with a greater risk of contracting HIV. [17] HIV is strongly associated with having MSP. [18] Having multiple sex partners is associated with higher incidences of STIs. [19]

Prevention of disease strategies include intensive counseling of those who have met the definition of multiple sex partners. [9]

In Jamaica, one of the primary contributing associations to the AIDS/HIV epidemic is the risky behavior of having multiple sex partners. A 2004 Behavioral Surveillance Survey demonstrated that 89 percent of males and 78 percent of females aged 15 to 24 had sex with a nonmarital or noncohabitating partner in the preceding 12 months. Fifty-six percent of males and 16 percent of females had multiple sex partners in the preceding 12 months. [20]

In Sub-Saharan Africa, travel and wealth is a risk factor in engaging in sexual activities with multiple sex partners. [21]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Safe sex</span> Ways to reduce the risk of acquiring STIs

Safe sex is sexual activity using methods or contraceptive devices to reduce the risk of transmitting or acquiring sexually transmitted infections (STIs), especially HIV. "Safe sex" is also sometimes referred to as safer sex or protected sex to indicate that some safe sex practices do not eliminate STI risks. It is also sometimes used colloquially to describe methods aimed at preventing pregnancy that may or may not also lower STI risks.

Down-low is an African-American slang term specifically used within the African-American community that typically refers to a sexual subculture of Black men who usually identify as heterosexual but actively seek sexual encounters and relations with other men, practice gay cruising, and frequently don a specific hip-hop attire during these activities. They generally avoid disclosing their same-sex sexual activities, even if they have female sexual partner(s), they are married to a woman, or they are single. The term is also used to refer to a related sexual identity. Down-low has been viewed as "a type of impression management that some of the informants use to present themselves in a manner that is consistent with perceived norms about masculine attribute, attitudes, and behavior".

Men who have sex with men (MSM) refers to all men who engage in sexual activity with other men, regardless of sexual identity. The term was created by epidemiologists in the 1990s, to better study and communicate the spread of sexually transmitted infections such as HIV/AIDS between all sexually active males, not strictly those identifying as gay or bisexual, but also for example male prostitutes. The term is often used in medical literature and social research to describe such men as a group. It does not describe any specific kind of sexual activity, and which activities are covered by the term depends on context. An alternative term, males who have sex with males is sometimes considered more accurate in cases where those described may not be legal adults.

<i>Sexual Ecology</i> 1997 book by Gabriel Rotello

Sexual Ecology: AIDS and the Destiny of Gay Men is a 1997 book by gay activist Gabriel Rotello, who discusses why HIV has continued to infect large numbers of gay men despite the widespread use of condoms and why a number of experts believe that new HIV infections will disproportionately affect gay men in the future. Rotello examines the origins and timeline of the AIDS epidemic, drawing on epidemiology, sociology, gay history, and ecology. His conclusion is that gay men need to reduce their number of partners and increase condom use to bring the infection rate down. Rotello's central argument derives from the epidemiological concept that sexually-transmitted epidemics are the result of three factors, sometimes called the Triad of Risk: the "infectivity" of a sexually transmitted disease (STD), or how easily it spreads; the "prevalence" of that STD in a particular group, and 3. the ‘contact rate,’ or the average number of sexual partners that people have within a particular group.

Abstinence, be faithful, use a condom, also known as the ABC strategy or abstinence-plus sex education, also known as abstinence-based sex education, is a sex education policy based on a combination of "risk avoidance" and harm reduction which modifies the approach of abstinence-only sex education by including education about the value of partner reduction safe sex and birth control methods. Abstinence-only sex education is strictly to promote the sexual abstinence until marriage, and does not teach about safe sex or contraceptives. The abstinence-based sex education program is meant to stress abstinence and include information on safe sex practices. In general terms, this strategy of sex education is a compromise between abstinence-only education and comprehensive sex education. The ABC approach was developed in response to the growing epidemic of HIV/AIDS in Africa, and to prevent the spread of other sexually transmitted diseases. This approach has been credited by some with the falling numbers of those infected with AIDS in Uganda, Kenya and Zimbabwe, among others. From 1990 to 2001 the percentage of Ugandans living with AIDS fell from 15% to between 5 and 6%. This fall is believed to result from the employment of the ABC approach, especially reduction in the number of sex partners, called "Zero-Grazing" in Uganda.

Women who have sex with women (WSW) are women who engage in sexual activities with other women, whether they identify themselves as lesbian, bisexual, or heterosexual, or dispense with sexual identification altogether. The term WSW is often used in medical literature to describe such women as a group for clinical study, without needing to consider sexual self-identity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sexually transmitted infection</span> Infection transmitted through human sexual behavior

A sexually transmitted infection (STI), also referred to as a sexually transmitted disease (STD) and the older term venereal disease (VD), is an infection that is spread by sexual activity, especially vaginal intercourse, anal sex, oral sex, or sometimes manual sex. STIs often do not initially cause symptoms, which results in a risk of passing the infection on to others. Symptoms and signs of STIs may include vaginal discharge, penile discharge, ulcers on or around the genitals, and pelvic pain. Some STIs can cause infertility.

Since the first HIV/AIDS case in the Lao People's Democratic Republic (PDR) was identified in 1990, the number of infections has continued to grow. In 2005, UNAIDS estimated that 3,700 people in Lao PDR were living with HIV.

With less than 0.1 percent of the population estimated to be HIV-positive, Bangladesh is a low HIV-prevalence country.

HIV/AIDS in El Salvador has a less than 1 percent prevalence of the adult population reported to be HIV-positive. El Salvador therefore is a low-HIV-prevalence country. The virus remains a significant threat in high-risk communities, such as commercial sex workers (CSWs) and men who have sex with men (MSM).

Honduras is the Central American country most adversely affected by the HIV/AIDS epidemic. It is estimated that the prevalence of HIV among Honduran adults is 1.5%.

HIV/AIDS in Jamaica has a 1.5 percent prevalence of the adult population estimated to be HIV-positive. There has been no significant change over the last five years and therefore Jamaica appears to have stabilized its HIV/AIDS epidemic.

<i>How to Have Sex in an Epidemic</i> 1983 book by Richard Berkowitz and Michael Callen

How to Have Sex in an Epidemic: One Approach is a 1983 manual by Richard Berkowitz and Michael Callen, under the direction of Joseph Sonnabend, to advise men who have sex with men (MSM) about how to avoid contracting the infecting agent which causes AIDS. It was among the first publications to recommend the use of condoms to prevent the transmission of STDs in men having sex with men, and has even been named, along with Play Fair!, as one of the foundational publications in the advent of modern safe sex.

HIV/AIDS in Bhutan remains a relatively rare disease among its population. It has, however, grown into an issue of national concern since Bhutan's first reported case in 1993. Despite preemptive education and counseling efforts, the number of reported HIV/AIDS cases has climbed since the early 1990s. This prompted increased government efforts to confront the spread of the disease through mainstreaming sexually transmitted disease (STD) and HIV prevention, grassroots education, and the personal involvement of the Bhutanese royal family in the person of Queen Mother Sangay Choden.

Since reports of emergence and spread of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in the United States between the 1970s and 1980s, the HIV/AIDS epidemic has frequently been linked to gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (MSM) by epidemiologists and medical professionals. It was first noticed after doctors discovered clusters of Kaposi's sarcoma and pneumocystis pneumonia in homosexual men in Los Angeles, New York City, and San Francisco in 1981. The first official report on the virus was published by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) on June 5, 1981, and detailed the cases of five young gay men who were hospitalized with serious infections. A month later, The New York Times reported that 41 homosexuals had been diagnosed with Kaposi's sarcoma, and eight had died less than 24 months after the diagnosis was made.

Education is recognized as a social determinant of health. Education has also been identified as a social vaccine against contracting HIV. Research suggests a negative linear relationship between educational attainment and HIV infection rate, especially the educational attainment of women and girls.

David DuPuy Celentano is a noted epidemiologist and professor who has contributed significantly to the promotion of research on HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs). He is the Charles Armstrong chair of the Department of Epidemiology at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. He holds joint appointments with the school’s departments of Health Policy and Management, Health Behavior and Society, and International Health, and the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine’s Division of Infectious Diseases.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Transgender sex workers</span>

Transgender sex workers are transgender people who work in the sex industry or perform sexual services in exchange for money or other forms of payment. In general, sex workers appear to be at great risk for serious health problems related to their profession, such as physical and sexual assault, robbery, murder, physical and mental health problems, and drug and alcohol addiction. Though all sex workers are at risk for the problems listed, some studies suggest that sex workers who engage in street-based work have a higher risk for experiencing these issues. Transgender sex workers experience high degrees of discrimination both in and outside of the sex industry and face higher rates of contracting HIV and experiencing violence as a result of their work. In addition, a clear distinction needs to be made between consensual sex work and sex trafficking where there is a lack of control and personal autonomy.

Risky sexual behavior is the description of the activity that will increase the probability that a person engaging in sexual activity with another person infected with a sexually transmitted infection will be infected or become pregnant, or make a partner pregnant. It can mean two similar things: the behavior itself, and the description of the partner's behavior. The behavior could be unprotected vaginal, oral, anal, or manual intercourse. The partner could be a nonexclusive partner, HIV-positive, or an intravenous drug user. Drug use is associated with risky sexual behaviors.

Human sexual promiscuity is the practice of having many different sexual partners. In the case of men, this behavior of sexual nondiscrimination and hypersexuality is referred to as satyriasis, while in the case of women, this behavior is conventionally known as nymphomania. Both conditions are regarded as possibly compulsive and pathological qualities, closely related to hyper-sexuality. The results of, or costs associated with, these behaviors are the effects of human sexual promiscuity.

References

  1. ↑ "Promiscuous — definition of promiscuous by the Free Online dictionary". The Free Dictionary. Retrieved 21 September 2013.
  2. ↑ Sheff, Elisabeth (2016). When Someone You Love Is Polyamorous: Understanding Poly People and Relationships. Portland, Oregon: Thorntree Press.
  3. ↑ Tsala Dimbuene, Z., Emina, J., & Sankoh, O. (2014). UNAIDS ‘multiple sexual partners’ core indicator: promoting sexual networks to reduce potential biases.Global Health Action, 7. doi:https://dx.doi.org/10.3402/gha.v7.23103 http://www.globalhealthaction.net/index.php/gha/article/view/23103#Abstract
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 Global AIDS Response Progress Reporting 2015 (PDF). World Health Organization and the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS). 2015. p. 33. ISBN   9789241509343 . Retrieved 12 January 2016.
  5. ↑ Cardona, Amber (2016-12-04). "Sexually transmitted infections at record high". The Brown and White (university newsletter). Retrieved 2016-12-20.
  6. ↑ "Schools Teaching Prevention". National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 9 December 2015. Retrieved 2017-02-19.
  7. ↑ Exavery, Amon; Lutambi, Angelina M; Mubyazi, Godfrey M; Kweka, Khadija; Mbaruku, Godfrey; Masanja, Honorati (2011). "Multiple sexual partners and condom use among 10 - 19 year-olds in four districts in Tanzania: What do we learn?". BMC Public Health. 11 (1): 490. doi: 10.1186/1471-2458-11-490 . ISSN   1471-2458. PMC   3141458 . PMID   21696581.
  8. ↑ "Data from Tufts University Provide New Insights into Medical Students (Assessment of Medical Student and Resident/Fellow Knowledge, Comfort, and Training With Sexual History Taking in LGBTQ Patients)". Health & Medicine Week. 2015-06-12. Retrieved 2016-01-11.
  9. 1 2 "Sexually Transmitted Diseases Treatment Guidelines, 2015" . Retrieved 2017-02-20.PD-icon.svg This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain .
  10. ↑ "UK's most promiscuous city in 'one night stand' poll revealed". Metro.co.uk. Associated Newspapers Limited. 2014-01-08.
  11. ↑ "Trends in Sexual Risk Behaviors Among High School Students". Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved 2016-01-11.
  12. ↑ "11% of Men Have Multiple Sex Partners". WebMD. Retrieved 2016-01-12.
  13. ↑ Krauss, Susan (20 April 2013). "The Lingering Psychological Effects of Multiple Sex Partners". Psychology Today. Retrieved 2016-01-11.
  14. ↑ Teachman, Jay (2003). "Premarital Sex, Premarital Cohabitation, and the Risk of Subsequent Marital Dissolution Among Women". Journal of Marriage and Family. 65 (2): 444–455. doi:10.1111/j.1741-3737.2003.00444.x. ISSN   0022-2445. S2CID   6319486.
  15. ↑ Mien-chieh, Yang (2011-12-02). "Taiwanese males have five sexual partners: survey". Taipei Times. Retrieved 2023-06-23.
  16. ↑ "STD Facts — Bacterial Vaginosis". Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved 2016-01-11.
  17. ↑ "Special Populations, 2010 STD Treatment Guidelines". Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved 2016-01-11.
  18. ↑ LeMay, Michael C (2016). Global Pandemic Threats: A Reference Handbook: A Reference Handbook. ABC-CLIO. ISBN   978-1440842825 . Retrieved 2017-01-09.
  19. ↑ "Multiple sex partners". Terrence Higgins Trust. Retrieved 2017-02-17.
  20. ↑ "Health Profile: Jamaica" Archived 2008-09-13 at the Wayback Machine . United States Agency for International Development (June 2008). Accessed September 7, 2008. PD-icon.svg This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain .
  21. ↑ "Household Wealth, Travel Associated with Having Multiple Partners among Sub-Saharan African Men - International Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health". HighBeam Research. Retrieved 2017-01-09.[ dead link ]
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