Ten percent of South African women report anal sex in the past three months

via Aidsmap, by Roger Pebody

A cross-sectional survey has found that 14% of men and 10% of women in Cape Town, South Africa, report having heterosexual anal intercourse. Condoms are used at roughly equivalent frequency as for vaginal sex, it is reported in the online edition of Sexually Transmitted Infections.

The study’s authors believe that while anal intercourse needs to be addressed in behavioural interventions, it makes only a minor contribution to the South African epidemic.

However, the authors of an accompanying editorial argue strongly that this conclusion is premature, and point out that unaccounted-for anal intercourse could skew the findings of microbicide trials.

Anal intercourse between men and women has generally not received as much attention as anal intercourse between men. However, there is evidence (especially from the United States) that anal sex is practised by large numbers of sexually active adults, suggesting that it may play an important role in HIV transmission amongst heterosexuals.

Read the rest.

Related: Check out the presentations below from the IRMA teleconference exploring this subject

Implications of Anal Intercourse and Rectal use of Products in Vaginal Microbicide Trials (Ian McGowan) 

Measuring Anal Intercourse in Microbicide Studies (Pamina Gorbach)