A survey on sexual awareness and behaviour of residents of a provincial city

For better understanding of the sexual behaviours that are high-risk in terms of HIV infection, a random sample of 200 people aged above 20 and below 60 years, from a population of 23,700, was selected in the provincial city of Nagano and surveyed by visitation. The responses of 156 people (a rate of response of 78%) were collected and the results were statistically analyzed. The methods employed in conducting a survey on sexual behaviour were also evaluated. The number of sexual partners is an indicator of high-risk sexual behaviour for HIV infection. The data reveals that 65.3% of the men and 37% of the women had two or more partners in the past, with 37.5% of the men and 12.5% of the women having two or more partners in the last 5 years, and 19.1% of the men and 4.2% of the women having two or more partners in the last year, revealing that a higher percentage of men than women have multiple partners. Comparison by age group reveals that young men and women in their 20s have the highest percentage of multiple partners. For both men and women first sexual intercourse before the age of 18, for men self-employment, being a craftsmen or in agriculture, and for women, higher education, were all factors in having greater numbers of partners. In conducting a survey on sexual behaviour the following should be kept in mind. 1) The psychological background of the respondent; Sex counseling skills are required on the part of the interviewer when taking a survey on sex since it is a very private and personal topic for people. Respondents have a tendency to be those who are open-minded about sex and are active in life, and these factors can exaggerate the survey results. 2) Conduct of a survey on sexual behaviour; The survey should be taken only after the purpose of the survey has been fully explained to the respondents and trust has been established. In principle, therefore, mailing of a letter of request and the actual questions should not be the method utilized prior to the collection of responses.