Determinants of Condom Use among Selected Migrant Commercial Farm Workers in South Africa

Abstract

Previous studies have shown that HIV prevalence rates are relatively high while condom use is low in migrant communities in South Africa. Using data from the Integrated Biological and Behavioural Surveillance Survey implemented by the International Organisation for Migration in 2010 among farm workers, this study seeks to investigate factors associated with condom use among migrant men and women in selected commercial farms in two provinces of South Africa. The study analysed 943 sexually active non-South Africans working in selected farms. Data analysis was undertaken at univariate, bivariate and multivariate levels using logistic regression producing odds ratios to examine the associations at 5% level of significance. The results showed that access to free condoms, financial stability and staying away from spouse increased the odds of condom use among migrant farm workers in Limpopo and Mpumalanga. Amongst men being financially stable and having access to free condoms significantly increased the odds of using condoms. Amongst women being married reduced the odds of using condoms while access to free condoms and living away from spouse significantly increased condom use. Determinants of condom use vary between male and female migrants. HIV prevention policies and programmes targeting migrant farm workers should be gender sensitive. (Afr J Reprod Health 2016; 20[2]: 13-26).Keywords: HIV prevention, migrant labour, risky behaviour, vulnerabilities. RésuméDes études antérieures ont montré que les taux de prévalence du VIH sont relativement élevés alors que l'utilisation du préservatif est faible dans les communautés des immigrés en Afrique du Sud. En utilisant les données de l'Enquête sur la surveillance biologique et comportementale intégrée mis en oeuvre par l'Organisation internationale pour la migration en 2010 au sein des travailleurs agricoles, cette étude vise à étudier les facteurs associés à l'utilisation du préservatif chez les hommes et les femmes immigrés dans les exploitations commerciales sélectionnées dans deux provinces d'Afrique du Sud. L'étude a analysé 943 non Sud-Africains sexuellement actifs travaillant dans des fermes sélectionnées. L'analyse des données a été réalisée aux niveaux univariés, bivariés et multivariés en utilisant la régression logistique produisant des rapports de cotes pour examiner les associations au niveau de signification de 5%. Les résultats ont montré que l'accès à des préservatifs gratuits, la stabilité financière et de rester loin du conjoint ont augmenté les chances de l'utilisation du préservatif parmi les travailleurs agricoles immigrés au Limpopo et Mpumalanga. Chez les hommes étant financièrement stable et ayant accès à des préservatifs gratuits ont augmenté de manière significative les chances de l'utilisation des préservatifs. Chez les femmes, le fait d'être mariées a réduit les chances d'utiliser des préservatifs alors que l'accès aux préservatifs gratuits et d'habiter loin du conjoint a augmenté de manière significative l'utilisation du préservatif. Le...

HIV Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices in Agricultural Workers: A Precarious and Vulnerable Workforce in South Africa

“…Thus it can be concluded that one of the factors behind the high prevalence of HIV in the study population is engaging in sex with more than one partner, made worse by low condom usage. Men were less likely to use condoms in last sexual intercourse, which differs from the previous study findings in similar setting, where more women than men were not using condoms (6). The current findings show that women are more engaged in transactional sex than men, which affirms findings from previous studies (6,16,20).…”

“…Agricultural workers are among the most at risk populations, due to the nature of their work (6). Generally, they are exposed to poor living and working conditions, they work physically demanding jobs, most of the time away from their families, and they have limited access to healthcare services (7).…”

Determinants of condom use among parous women in North Central and South Western Nigeria: a cross-sectional survey

“…A national survey in the United States showed that only 23.8 and 33.7% of women and men aged 15–44 used a condom at their last sexual intercourse [ 17 ]. However, higher condom use prevalence was reported among unmarried adults compared to married adults, among adolescents compared to adults, people living with HIV and commercial sex workers [ 21 – 23 ]. This is unsurprising considering that almost all interventions to promote condom use are targeted at high-risk populations [ 24 ].…”

Factors associated with sexual and reproductive health service utilisation in high migration communities in six Southern African countries

“…These include religious and cultural beliefs, financial constraints, fear of deportation among migrants who do not possess legal documents, language barriers, lack of SRH information, and the attitude of service providers [ 4 , 8 , 12 , 14 , 15 , 21 , 23 – 30 ]. Further, lower educational level, being unmarried, financial instability and high costs of services for migrants are factors associated with lower utilisation of contraception methods and HIV services [ 21 , 23 , 31 , 32 ]. The aforementioned findings were mainly collated from studies that focused on qualitative exploration of attitudes, perceptions and experiences of migrants in accessing SRH services [ 12 , 15 , 25 , 33 – 35 ].…”

“…The aforementioned findings were mainly collated from studies that focused on qualitative exploration of attitudes, perceptions and experiences of migrants in accessing SRH services [ 12 , 15 , 25 , 33 – 35 ]. In addition, in Southern Africa, research has been conducted on migrant commercial farm workers focusing on determinants of condom use in South Africa and unmet need for contraception among internal female migrants in Zambia, [ 31 , 36 ]. Similarly, a few mixed methods studies were conducted which focused on access to HIV care and treatment among migrants in Lesotho and South Africa [ 37 ].…”