Sexual Behavior in Rural Malawi: Preliminary Results from Diaries

Sayeh Nikpay, University of Michigan

This paper presents results from nine-day recalls of self-reported sexual behavior collected in 2007 among approximately 1,300 men and women in Balaka, Rumphi, and Mchinji, three geographic regions in Malawi. These respondents were tested in 2006 for HIV; 8.7 percent of the sample were positive. Respondents were asked about each romantic interaction they had with a partner, including kissing, mutual masturbation, and vaginal sex. We present how consistent these diaries were over time, as well as how sexual interactions vary by day, by gender, HIV status, and marital status.