Why most women are likely to engage in unprotected sex

By Trudy Mbaluku

It is probably accepted and expected behaviour in most cultures in the African society that men in relationships are more likely to sexually stray from their partners. However, a shocking study reveals that men are twice likely to engage in high-risk sex than their women, and women are less likely to engage in protective sex with multiple partners.

Research confirms this by showing that these ‘Mars’ originators are twice as likely to go to bed with a high-risk partner than their Venus counterparts. Though morally encouraging that the women score high marks in the proverbial zipping up, beating the men by double marks, the scorecard for the C-word – Condom use, among errant ‘Venuses’ is not good. Should a woman stray, she is less likely to have protected sex than her male counterpart. This means among 10 women who may engage in high-risk sex, only three are likely to use protection.

The research defines high-risk partners as neither someone who is neither your wife, your husband nor someone you are living with.

Findings in the latest Kenya Demographic Survey show that only 35 per cent of women that have sex with a man who is not their partner use protection. For men, 62 per cent report condom use. According to Government figures, six in 10 men that have sex with more than one partner who is neither their wife or lives with them use a condom.

The health survey assessed condom use among women and men with multiple partners considering those sexual encounters likely to pose the greatest risk of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) transmission. Despite the fact that men are more likely to engage in high-risk sex, the same does not apply when it comes to HIV Prevalence: HIV prevalence is higher among their female counterparts who engage in high-risk intercourse. 

This disparity is perhaps explained by continued use of the condom. HIV experts attribute this inconsistence to the fact that men are more likely to consistently use a condom when engaging in high-risk sex than women. Sociologists attribute breaks in condom use among women to the fact that women are more emotional, and therefore tend to trust easily hence stop condom use with time. They thus risk contracting sexually transmitted infections (STIs) every time they engage in unprotected sex with a high-risk partner. Although truly effective protection would require condom use with every sexual encounter, Dr Joachim Osur, a gynaenacologist and obstetrician submits that due to the ‘expected conduct’ for women by our society, women tend to shy from initiating condom use during high-risk sex.  

Familiarity is the main cause of condom breaks, which Osur attests to, revealing that most women report condom use in the first few sexual encounters with a new partner but afterwards, drop the practice. This, according to the maternal health expert predisposes these women to getting unintended pregnancies and STIs.

Never negotiate

“Considering our cultural set up, few women can negotiate for anything let alone safe sex,” says Osur, “Women chiefly acquire STIs including HIV through having unprotected sex with an infected partner.”

The obstetrician adds that women need to be empowered to be able to negotiate for safe sex. Concurring with the statistics, Dr Francis Were urges women to take precaution at all times to keep unwanted pregnancies at bay and reduce the risk of acquiring STIs, when they have high-risk sex. “Having a sexual partner outside formal unions puts people at great risk of contracting STIs.  These ‘extra’ partners may also be having other affairs, hence creating a messy web of high-risk partners,” explains Were, a Gynaecologist and Meridian Equator Hospital.

“This is dangerous for both men and women but more so for the woman who is thrice likely to be infected with HIV due to her biological structure,” adds Were. Findings of an earlier study titled Part time Female Sex Workers in Suburban Community in Kenya: A venerable hidden population, reveal that 50 per cent of the Female Sex Worker reported client refusal to condom use, exposing both parties to the risk of infection.

Elsewhere, in the KDHS 2009 survey, incidences of high-risk sex are likely to be found in persons that are well educated. It is ironic, but young educated women are more likely to engage in high-risk sex than their uneducated peers. Only 13 per cent of women with no secondary education engaged in high-risk sex, with those with secondary education reaching 50 per cent. This means that five in every 10 sexually active women with secondary education are likely to have multiple partners as opposed to their uneducated counterparts.

Interestingly, for their uneducated peers, nearly two in 10 were likely to engage in high- risk behaviour. Although condom use is prevalent among sexually active educated young women, the study shows inconsistency in use. Interestingly, for their uneducated peers, nearly two in 10 were likely to engage in high- risk behaviour. Although condom use is prevalent among sexually active educated young women, the study shows inconsistency in use.