Sexual behaviour in Russia: who exhibits a higher risk? Evidence from longitudinal data

The object of the paper is to assess the social and economic determinants of 'risky' sexual behaviour in Russia. We used secondary data from a nationally representative survey of 6168 persons between the ages of 14 and 49 years conducted in 2001 and 2003. Sexual risk is defined as having had unprotected (without a condom) penetrative sexual intercourse with two or more partners in the 12 months preceding the survey. The analysis uses a multivariate random effects model. There was a significant reduction in sexually risky behaviour between 2001 and 2003. Men and those employed exhibited significantly greater risk as did those between the ages of 25 and 44 years. Those who considered themselves economically secure also were significantly more likely to have had risky sexual contacts in the year before the survey. Those with only a basic education were significantly less likely to exhibit such behaviour. Those at highest risk in Russia of contracting sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) including HIV are not in marginal or socially excluded groups but instead are part of the core economically active population.