Marseille 2007
| Abstract #476 - The Prevalence of the use of Dry Sex Traditional Medicines, among Zambian women, and the Profile of the users. | ||||
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Session: 23.5: Sex and Risk (Parallel) on Monday @ 16.30-18.30 in CP Chaired by Ulrike Sonnenberg Schwan, Marc-Eric Gruenais Authors: Presenting Author: Dr Mbololwa Mbikusita-Lewanika - Ebenezer, United Kingdom |
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| Additional Authors: Dr Stephen Hart, | ||||
| Aim: Concern has been voiced about the dry sex practice in Southern and Central Africa, and its possible role in the transmission of the Human Immuno-deficiency virus (HIV). Despite this concern, there has been little evidence-based information about the practice or the people involved in it. General observations and discussions had however indicated that the use of dry sex traditional medicines (DSTM) was widespread among Zambian women. The main aim of the study was therefore to investigate the extent of DSTM use among Zambian women, and the profile of the DSTM users. | ||||
| Method / Issue: A cross-sectional study involving 812 Zambian women was undertaken in Lusaka, the capital city of Zambia. The survey was conducted at 29 centres including companies and organisations, womens groups and projects, educational establishments, civic training projects, health facilities and town markets. Quantitative and qualitative data was collected through self-administered questionnaires (340), interviews (472), in-depth interviews (8) and focus group discussions (91). The quantitative data was analysed using SPSS, and the qualitative data was used to complement and clarify the quantitative data. The current and past use of DSTM was measured along with the details of those who had discontinued using DSTM. The factors associated with these parameters were then evaluated. | ||||
| Results / Comments: The results showed that awareness of the dry sex practice was almost universal among Zambian women. Furthermore, about two-thirds had used DSTM at some stage in their lives, and about half were using them at the time of the study. Those who were most likely to have been using, or to have used DSTM, were those who were older, married, with little or no formal education, from the lower socio-economic levels, homemakers, manual workers (p<<0.001), originally from the Eastern province of Zambia (p<0.002), and those who had spent most of their formative years in rural areas. | ||||
| Discussion: The knowledge and use of DSTM is widespread among sexually active and non-sexually active Zambian women, especially among those who were most likely to adhere to traditional views and beliefs about womanhood and marriage. These findings are important, not only because they indicate the extent of the dry sex practice in Zambia, but also because they provide a detailed profile of the women who are most likely to have been using DSTM and those who were most likely to discontinue using DSTM, as well as evidence of changing patterns in DSTM use. Most of the hitherto available information about the dry sex practice has been anecdotal, speculative or inadequate. The findings of this study therefore represent a breakthrough in terms of the quality and quantity of data collected. Furthermore, in view of the concern about the possible role of dry sex in HIV transmission, these findings would be useful in the formulation of Health education intervention strategies, as well as in terms of womens general physical and psycho-social welfare. | ||||
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