Abstract
This study assessed the risky sexual behavior of a group of adult men and women with sexual experience within the past 1 year who, while in a relationship with a stable partner, reported having sex with another person. The data were collected in 2003 using a nationally representative, multi-stage stratified probability sample (n = 1,271) of women and men in South Korea. Via hierarchical regression models, we assessed the gendered effects of socioeconomic characteristics, health behavior, sex behavior, and safe sex attitude factors. According to the results, for groups with concurrent sexual partnership experience, if the subject was a single person with smoking and drinking who had engaged in sex resulting in unwanted pregnancy, and anal sex initiated before the age of 17, the likelihood of engaging in concurrent sexual partnerships was statistically significant. Furthermore, our gender-elaborated analysis demonstrated that the majority of sexual risk was borne by women. When the partners of concurrent sexual partnerships are categorized by type, the key characteristic of a casual relationship or relationship with female sex workers is one-night-stand sex, accompanied by drinking. This study found that, for groups with concurrent sexual partnerships experience, there is a statistical association between health risky variables and risky sexual behavior. We should attempt to intervene in these concurrent sexual partnerships groups for the effective management of sexually transmitted infections.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
CDC (US).: Behavioral risk factor surveillance system [cited 2006 Sep 6]. Available from: URL: http://www.cdc.gov/brfss
Robinson, A.J., Rogstad, K.: Adolescence: a time of risk taking. Sex. Trans. Infect. 78, 314–315 (2002)
Moore, S., Rosenthal, D.: Sexuality in Adolescence: Current Trends. Routledge, New York (2006)
Blum, R.W., Nelson‐Mmari, K.: The health of young people in a global context. J. Adolesc. Health 35, 402–418 (2004)
Walters, A.S.: Taking a stand: on teaching the epidemiology of sexually transmitted infections. Sex. Disabil. 24(3), 131–139 (2006)
Christianson, M.: What’s behind Sexual Risk Taking? (p. 1). Umeå University, Sweden (2006)
Laumann, E.O., Gagnon, J.H., Michael, R.T., Michaels, S.: The Social Organization of Sexuality: Sexual practices in the United States. University of Chicago Press, Chicago (1994)
Mah, T.L., Halperin, D.T.: Concurrent sexual partnerships and the HIV epidemics in Africa: evidence to move forward. AIDS Behav. (Published online, Accessed: Sep 14, 2008)
Choi, K.H., Hudes, E.S., Steward, W.T.: Social discrimination, concurrent sexual partnerships, and HIV risk among men who have sex with men in Shanghai, China. AIDS Behav. 12, S71–S77 (2008)
Bucardo, J., Semple, S.J., Fraga-Vallejo, M., Davila, W., Patterson, T.L.: A qualitative exploration of female sex work in Tijuana, Mexico. Arch. Sex. Behav. 33, 343–351 (2004)
Gorbach, P.M., & Holmes, K.K.: Transmission of STIs/HIV at the partnership level: beyond individual-level analyses. J. urban health: Bull. NY Acad. Med. 80(4 Suppl 3), iii15–25 (2003)
Youm, Y., Laumann, E.O.: Social network effects on the transmission of sexually transmitted diseases. Sex. Transm. Dis. 29, 689–697 (2002)
Weinstock, H., Berman, S., Cates Jr, W.: Sexually transmitted diseases among American youth: incidence and prevalence estimates, 2000. Perspect. Sex. Reprod. Health 36, 6–10 (2004)
Behavioral Surveillance Surveys (BSS): Guidelines for Repeated Behavioral Surveys in Populations at Risk of HIV. Family Health International (2000)
Friedman, S.R., Curtis, R., Jose, B., Neaigus, A., Zenilman, J., Culpepper-Morgan, J., et al.: Sex, drugs, and infections among youth: parenterally and sexually transmitted diseases in a high-risk neighborhood. Sex. Transm. Dis. 24, 322–326 (1997)
Laumann, E.O., Gagnon, J.H.: A sociological perspective on sexual action. In: Parker, R., Gagnon, J. (eds.) Conceiving Sexuality. Routledge, New York (1995)
Axinn, W.G., Thornton, A.: The relationship between cohabitation and divorce: selectivity or causal influence? Demography 29, 357–374 (1992)
Waite, L.J., Joyner, K.: Emotional and physical satisfaction with sex in married, cohabiting, and dating sexual unions: do men and women differ? In: Laumann, E., Michael, R. (eds.) Sex, Love, and Health in America. University of Chicago Press, Chicago (2000)
Kinsey, A.C., Pomeroy, W.B., Martin, C.E.: Pre-marital intercourse in the human male. In: Lieberman, B. (ed.) Human Sexual Behavior, pp. 126–137. Wiley, New York (1971)
Kinsey, A.C., Pomeroy, W.B., Martin, C.E.: Pre-marital coitus in the human female. In: Lieberman, B. (ed.) Human Sexual Behavior, pp. 138–162. Wiley, New York (1971)
Wiederman, M.W.: Extramarital sex: prevalence and correlates in a national survey. J. Sex Res. 34(2), 167–174 (1997)
Atkins, D.C., Baucom, D.H., Jacobson, N.S.: Understanding infidelity: correlates in a national random sample. J. Fam. Psychol. 15, 735–749 (2001)
Choi, K.H., Catania, J.A., Dolcini, M.M.: Extramarital sex and HIV risk behavior among U.S. adults: results from the national AIDS behavioral survey. Am. J. Public Health 84, 2003–2007 (1994)
Kaiser, M.M., Hays, B.J.: Health‐risk behaviors in a sample of first-time pregnant adolescents. Public Health Nurs. 22, 483–493 (2005)
Lam, T.H., Stewart, S.M., Ho, L.M.: Smoking and high-risk sexual behavior among young adults in Hong Kong. J. Behav. Med. 24, 503–518 (2001)
Ogletree, R.J., Dinger, M.K., Vesely, S.: Associations between number of lifetime partners and other health behaviors. Am. J. Health Behav. 25, 537–544 (2001)
Takakura, M., Nagayama, T., Sakihara, S., Willcox, C.: Patterns of health-risk behavior among Japanese high school students. J. School Health 71, 23–29 (2001)
Stueve, A., O’Donnell, L.N.: Early alcohol initiation and subsequent sexual and alcohol risk behaviors among urban youths. Am. J. Public Health 95, 887–893 (2001)
Howard, D.E., Wang, M.Q.: Multiple sexual‐partner behavior among sexually active US adolescent girls. Am. J. Health Behav. 28, 3–12 (2004)
Smit, J., Myer, L., Middelkoop, K., Seedat, S., Wood, R., Bekker, L.G., et al.: Mental health and sexual risk behaviours in a South African township: a community-based cross-sectional study. Public Health 120, 534–542 (2006)
Simon, W., Gagnon, J.H.: Sexual scripts: permanence and change. Arch. Sex. Behav. 15, 97–120 (1996)
Go, U.Y., Kee, M.K., Choi, B.S., Kang, C., Do, K.M., Lee, J.H., et al.: Male to female heterosexual transmission of HIV in Korea: transmission rate and risk factors. J. Prev. Med. Public Health 32(2), 228–235 (1999)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Jung, M., Choi, M. The Sociodemographic Characteristics of Concurrent Sexual Partnerships and their Risky Sexual Behaviors: Results of a Nationally Representative Sample of South Korean Adults. Sex Disabil 27, 127–138 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11195-009-9122-3
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11195-009-9122-3