Sexual lifestyles vary among ethnic groups in Britain
1 April 2005
New research published today (Friday 1 April) in the Lancet confirms that levels of sexual risk behaviour and the chance of acquiring a sexually transmitted infection (STI) vary among Britain’s main ethnic (White, black Caribbean, black African, Indian and Pakistani) populations.
The National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles (Natsal), supported by a grant from the Medical Research Council (MRC), with funds from the Department of Health, the Scottish Executive and the National Assembly for Wales, is the first population survey of its kind to systematically examine differences in sexual lifestyles between Britain’s main ethnic groups.
The research team, made up of scientists from University College London, the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, and the National Centre for Social Research, looked at data from 12 110 people including the five main ethnic groups in Britain.
They found that Indian and Pakistani groups had the lowest levels of risk behaviours and reported STI infections, probably reflecting cultural norms characterised by later age of first intercourse and fewer reported sexual partners compared with other ethnic groups. For example, the average age at first intercourse was over 20 for Indian and Pakistani men and women but around 17 for other groups.
Differences were also found by gender. Black African and black Caribbean men reported higher levels of sexual risk behaviour and higher incidence of STIs compared to white, Indian and Pakistani men. White women reported higher levels of risk behaviours than other ethnic groups; however, they were less likely to report STIs than black Caribbean and black African women.
Key findings include:
- Approximately one in 25 white women reported being diagnosed with an STI in the past 5 years compared with one in 11 black Caribbean women and one in 13 black African women; and fewer than one in 50 Pakistani and Indian women.
- Fewer than one in 50 Indian and Pakistani men reported being diagnosed with an STI in the past 5 years, compared with one in 34 white men, and one in 13 black African and black Caribbean men.
- White women reported an average of 5 lifetime partners compared with 4 reported by black Caribbean women, 3 by black African women and 1 by both Indian and Pakistani women.
- Black Caribbean and black African men reported an average of 9 lifetime sexual partners compared to 6 reported by White men and 2 by Indian and Pakistani men.
Although the study found that the main factor influencing an individual’s risk of reporting STIs was the number of sex partners, this factor alone did not fully explain the variations in STI incidence in different ethnic groups. In addition to cultural and demographic influences, other factors likely to influence risk of infection include how people choose sexual partners, the background level of untreated STI in different communities and the speed and completeness of treatment.
Lead researcher Dr Kevin Fenton of University College London commented:
“For the first time we have a clearer understanding of the complex relationship between the sexual lifestyles of Britain’s main ethnic groups and the risk of sexually transmitted infections.
“Sexual behaviour alone doesn’t explain the differences in STIs among ethnic groups. Cultural factors, age and marriage patterns, and varying levels of infection in different communities are all likely to be important in explaining differences. This highlights the need for culturally appropriate approaches to the prevention of STIs that take into account the varied risk experienced by different ethnic groups.
“Further studies to determine the background levels of STIs in different communities and strategies to effectively identify and treat these, are now needed.”
For more information, or to arrange an interview, please contact the MRC Press Office on 020 7637 6011.
For a copy of the paper, contact pressoffice@lancet.com
Notes to editors
The National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles (Natsal)
- The British National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles (Natsal) is a stratified probability sample survey of 11 161 men and women aged 16-44 years resident in Great Britain undertaken between May 1, 1999 and February 28, 2001. Fieldwork was undertaken by the National Centre for Social Research (www.natcen.ac.uk).
- Over 40,500 addresses were selected to be visited by study interviewers, who identified potentially eligible participants and invited one (by random selection) to participate in the study. Interviews took place in respondents’ homes.
- The study questionnaire used a combination of face-to-face and computer assisted interviews to obtain information on individuals sexual attitudes and lifestyles.
- In order to obtain more information on Britain's main ethnic minority communities, an additional 949 respondents from black African, black Caribbean, Indian and Pakistani backgrounds were recruited at the end of the main survey using broadly the same method as that used in the main survey.
- The sample used for this analysis combined all individuals from the ethnic minority sample (949) with White, black African, black Caribbean, Indian and Pakistani respondents from the main survey (10 772).
For information about previous Natsal studies: http://www.natcen.ac.uk or see The Lancet, December 2001
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