Patterns and determinants of men’s sexual behavior in Ethiopia

Eshetu Gurmu, Addis Ababa University

Even though male’s involvement in sexual and reproductive health is a complex issue, it has significant impact on the health of family members including women and children. The main purpose of this study is to investigate the sexual behavior of Ethiopian males: timing of entry into sexual activity, tendency to have multiple sexual partners and motivation to know their VCT status using the 2011 Ethiopian Demographic and Health Survey data. Descriptive statistics and multivariate regression models are used to analyse the data. Results of the multivariate analysis show that Ethiopian males have diversified sexual behavior mainly governed by the socio-cultural and institutional settings of their living environment such as residential communities, educational attainment, religious faith and access to media. The study concludes that there is still a strong need to make use of formal and informal institutions in mediating male’s sexual behavior in the country.