Results, Behavioural Data and Tables (continued)
STD Behaviour
About one-third of the women (35.7%) reported having either a genital discharge (24.4%) or genital ulcers or sores (27.8%) in the past 12 months. Three-quarters (76.1%) of these sought advice at a health facility, be it a government (68.2%), private (27.3%), workplace (14.6%) or church-run (11.4%) health facility. Almost half (46.5%) sought advice from a traditional healer, 25.8% from a pharmacist, 23.5% bought capsules on the street and 27.3% took medicines at home. Less than half (43.1%) said that they told their partner, 32.9% stopped having sex and 23.1% used condoms while symptomatic. The women interviewed in Chipata reported fewer symptoms than in the other sites (26.9% vs. 39.2% and 41.3% in Chirundu and Livingstone respectively). Those women who had symptoms more often reported seeking care at health facilities, pharmacies and drug vendors. They also reported more frequently that they informed their partner, stopped having sex and/or always used condoms while symptomatic.
Table 5.2: Behaviour related to STD
|
Characteristic |
Livingstone |
Chirundu |
Chipata |
Total |
|
History of STD symptoms in the past 12 months |
n |
% |
n |
% |
n |
% |
n |
% |
|
Genital discharge |
70 |
27.0 |
37 |
26.1 |
44 |
20.1 |
151 |
24.4 |
|
Genital ulcer sores |
87 |
33.7 |
41 |
29.1 |
44 |
20.1 |
172 |
27.8 |
|
Genital discharge or ulcers/sores |
107 |
41.3 |
56 |
39.2 |
59 |
26.9 |
222 |
35.7 |
|
Total |
259 |
|
143 |
|
219 |
|
621 |
|
|
Behaviour the last time had STD symptoms1 |
n |
% |
n |
% |
n |
% |
n |
% |
|
Seek advice from a government health facility |
67 |
63.2 |
41 |
74.5 |
38 |
71.7 |
146 |
68.2 |
|
Seek advice from a workplace health facility |
11 |
10.5 |
6 |
10.9 |
14 |
26.4 |
31 |
14.6 |
|
Seek advice from a church or charity run health facility |
9 |
8.7 |
4 |
7.3 |
11 |
21.6 |
24 |
11.4 |
|
Seek advice from a private health facility |
22 |
21.4 |
13 |
24.1 |
22 |
42.3 |
57 |
27.3 |
|
Seek advice at any of the 4 above |
77 |
72.6 |
43 |
78.2 |
42 |
80.8 |
162 |
76.1 |
|
Seek advice from a pharmacist |
23 |
21.9 |
8 |
14.5 |
24 |
45.3 |
55 |
25.8 |
|
Seek advice from a traditional healer |
54 |
51.4 |
22 |
40.0 |
23 |
43.4 |
99 |
46.5 |
|
Bought capsules on the street |
24 |
22.9 |
9 |
16.4 |
17 |
32.1 |
50 |
23.5 |
|
Took medicine at home |
32 |
30.8 |
9 |
17.0 |
16 |
30.8 |
57 |
27.3 |
|
Tell partner about the symptoms |
42 |
40.0 |
17 |
32.1 |
32 |
60.4 |
91 |
43.1 |
|
Stop having sex while symptomatic |
31 |
29.5 |
14 |
25.5 |
25 |
47.2 |
70 |
32.9 |
|
Always use condom while symptomatic |
25 |
24.0 |
8 |
14.5 |
16 |
30.2 |
49 |
23.1 |
|
Total |
104 |
|
55 |
|
53 |
|
212 |
|
1 Only those who reported STD symptoms are included
6. Family planning practices
Table 6 presents family planning practices by study population.
Less than half (45.2%) of the women reported using any family planning method. Of those who reported using a family planning method, only 58.5% used a method considered effective for family planning. The most common methods were oral contraception (47.5%) and injectable contraception (13.7%). None of the women had an intrauterine device (IUD) inserted. About half of the women who were using a method (49.5) said they used condoms for family planning. Other methods were rare. About one-third of the women (31.7%) reported losing a pregnancy. The reported use of family planning was significantly higher in Chipata (55.3%), followed by Livingstone (43.2%) and Chirundu (33.6%). When limited to effective methods however, the use of family planning was similar in Chipata and Livingstone (both 29.2% of the total), but lower in Chirundu (16.1%).
Table 6: Family planning practices
|
Characteristic |
Livingstone |
Chirundu |
Chipata |
Total |
|
Currently using a family planning method |
n |
% |
n |
% |
n |
% |
n |
% |
|
Yes |
111 |
43.2 |
48 |
33.6 |
121 |
55.3 |
280 |
45.2 |
|
Total |
257 |
|
143 |
|
219 |
|
619 |
|
|
Method using1 |
n |
% |
n |
% |
n |
% |
n |
% |
|
Oral contraception |
53 |
49.1 |
19 |
39.6 |
59 |
49.2 |
131 |
47.5 |
|
Injection |
24 |
22.2 |
4 |
8.3 |
10 |
8.3 |
38 |
13.7 |
