Sexual behaviour of Cape Town high-school students

Objectives. To document prevalence rates for selected aspects of sexual behaviour among Cape. Town high-school students and to conduct a survival analysis of age at first intercourse. Design. Cross-sectional survey. Setting. State high schools in Cape Town. Subjects. A multistage cluster sample of 2740 grade 8 and 11 students at 39 schools. Outcome measures. Ever having had sexual intercourse; for those who had, age at first intercourse, number of partners during the previous 12 months time since last intercourse; and, at last intercourse, whether the partner had been known for more than 7 days, whether any method was used to prevent pregnancy or disease, and (if so) what was used. Results. Overall, 29.9% had participated in sexual intercourse, with a higher proportion,among males and those in grade 11. By the age of 14 years, 23.4% of males and 5.5% of females. had participated in sexual intercourse. By the age of 19 years, these proportions were 71.8% and 58.2% respectively. The median time since last intercourse was 4 weeks, the median number of partners in the past year was 1, and 78.4% had known their most recent partner for more than 7 days. At their last coital episode, 65.4% had used contraception; and the most common methods were condoms and injectable. steroids; which were used by 67.7% and 43.2% respectively. Conclusions. The proportion of sexually active students has increased since 1990, Intervention programmes should commence in primary school. Large numbers of students are at risk for pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections.