Attitude towards Negotiation for Safe Sexual Practices in Sub-Saharan Africa: Does Women’s Decision-Making Involvement Matter?

Chukwuechefulam K. Imo, Adekunle Ajasin University
Clifford O. Odimegwu, University of the Witwatersrand

The influence of women’s decision-making power in mediating intra-household resources towards safe sexual practices and risk of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) including Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) in Africa has been widely debated. Therefore, this study examined the role of women’s decision-making involvement on attitude towards negotiation for safe sexual practices in sub-Saharan Africa, using a total sample of 46,897 women aged 15-49 from the last Demographic and Health Surveys conducted in Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Cameroon and Namibia. Descriptive and analytical methods, including logistic regression were adopted for the analyses. The study revealed that childbearing women’s positions in decision-making influenced their attitude towards negotiation for safe sexual practices within the family. Hence, women in the region might continue to bear the brunt of STIs as a result of the disproportionate gender impact. Adopting the implications of these findings is essential towards preventing deaths of newborns and ending the epidemic of STIs.