Skip to main content

Advertisement

Log in

HIV/AIDS Risks among Men and Women Who Drink at Informal Alcohol Serving Establishments (Shebeens) in Cape Town, South Africa

  • Published:
Prevention Science Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

HIV/AIDS is devastating southern Africa and the spread of HIV is fueled in some populations by alcohol use. Alcohol serving establishments, such as informal drinking places or shebeens, often serve as high-risk venues for HIV transmission. The current study examined the HIV risks of men (N = 91) and women (N = 248) recruited from four shebeens in a racially integrating township in Cape Town South Africa. Participants completed confidential measures of demographic characteristics, HIV risk history, alcohol and drug use, and HIV risk behaviors. Comparisons of 94 (28%) participants who reported meeting sex partners at shebeens to the remaining sample of shebeen goers, controlling for potential confounds, demonstrated a pattern of higher risk for HIV infection among persons who met sex partners at shebeens. Few differences, however, were observed between men (N = 47) and women (N = 47) who had met sex partners at shebeens, suggesting greater gender similarities than gender differences in this important subpopulation. These results indicate an urgent need for multi-level HIV prevention interventions targeting shebeens and the men and women who drink in these settings.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Allen, J. P., Litten, R. Z., Fertig, J. B., & Babor, T. (1997). A review of the research on the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT). Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, 21, 613–619.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bassett, M., McFarland, W., Ray, S., Mbizvo, M., Machekano, R., van de Wijgert, J., & Katzenstein, D. (1996). Risk factors for HIV infection at enrollment in an urban male factory cohort in Harare, Zimbabwe. Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes, 13, 287–293.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bekker, D., & Van Velden, D. P. (2003). Alcohol misuse in patients attending a defense force general medical clinic. South African Family Practice, 45, 10–15.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brown, S., Goldman, M. S., Inn, A., & Anderson, L. (1980). Expectancies of reinforcement from alcohol: Their domain and relation to drinking patterns. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 48, 419–426.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Cook, R. L., & Clark, D. (2005). Is there an association between alcohol consumption and sexually transmitted diseases? A systematic review. Sexually Transmitted Diseases, 32, 156–164.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Cooperman, N. A., Falkin, G., & Cleland, C. (2005). Changes in women’s sexual risk behaviors after therapeutic community treatment. AIDS Education and Prevention, 17, 157–169.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Fritz, K. E., Woelk, G. B., Bassett, M. T., McFarland, W. C., Routh, J. A., Tobaiwa, O., & Stall, R. D. (2002). The association between alcohol use, sexual risk behavior, and HIV infection among men attending beer halls in Harare, Zimbabwe. AIDS and Behavior, 6, 221–228.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Goldman, M., & Darkes, J. (2004). Alcohol expectancy multiaxial assessment: A memory network-based approach. Psychological Assessment, 16, 4–15.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Jones, B. T., Corbin, W., & Fromme, K. (2001). A review of expectancy theory and alcohol consumption. Addiction, 96, 57–72.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kalichman, S. C., Simbayi, L. C., Kagee, A., Toefy, Y., Cain, D., & Cherry, C. (2006). Association of poverty, substance use, and HIV transmission risk behaviors in three South African communities. Social Science and Medicine, 62, 1641–1649.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kalichman, S. C., Simbayi, L. C., Kaufman, M., Cain, D., & Jooste, S. (2007). Alcohol and HIV/AIDS risk behaviors in southern Africa: Systematic review of empirical findings. Prevention Science, 8, 141–151.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kelly, J. A., Murphy, D. A., Sikkema, K. J., McAuliffe, T. L., Roffman, R. A., Solomon, L. J., et al. (1997). Randomized, controlled, community-level HIV prevention intervention for sexual risk behaviour among homosexual men in US cities. Lancet, 350, 1500–1505.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kelly, J. A., St. Lawrence, J., Stevenson, Y., Hauth, A., Kalichman, S., Diaz, Y., et al. (1992). Community AIDS/HIV risk reduction: The effects of endorsements by popular people in three cities. American Journal of Public Health, 82, 1483–1489.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lewis, J. J. C., Garnett, G. P., Mhlanga, S., Nyamukapa, C. A., Donnelly, C. A., & Gregson, S. (2005). Beer halls as a focus for HIV prevention activities in rural Zimbabwe. Sexually Transmitted Diseases, 32, 364–369.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Mataure, P., McFarland, W., Fritz, K., Kim, A., Woelk, G., Ray, S., & Rutherford, G. (2002). Alcohol use and high-risk sexual behavior among adolescents and young adults in Harare, Zimbabwe. AIDS and Behavior, 6, 211–219.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mbulaiteye, S. M., Ruberantwari, A., Nakiyingi, J. S., Carpenter, L. M., Kamali, A., & Whitworth, J. A. G. (2000). Alcohol and HIV: A study among sexually active adults in rural southwest Uganda. International Journal of Epidemiology, 29, 911–915.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Morojele, N. K., Kachieng’a, M. A., Nkoko, M. A., Moshia, A. M., Mokoko, E., Parry, C. D. H., et al. (2004). Perceived effects of alcohol use on sexual encounters among adults in South Africa. African Journal of Drug and Alcohol Studies, 3, 1–20.

    Google Scholar 

  • Morojele, N. K., Kachieng’a, M. A., Mokoko, E., Nkoko, M. A., Parry, C. D. H., Nkowane, A. M., et al. (2006). Alcohol use and sexual behaviour among risky drinkers and bar and shebeen patrons in Gauteng province, South Africa. Social Science and Medicine, 62, 217–227.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Myer, L., Matthews, C., & Little, F. (2002). Condom use and sexual behaviors among individuals procuring free male condoms in South Africa: A prospective study. Sexually Transmitted Diseases, 29, 239–241.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Palepu, A., Raj, A., Horton, N., Tibbetts, N., Meli, S., & Samet, J. (2005). Substance abuse treatment and risk behaviors among HIV infected persons with alcohol problems. Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment, 28, 3–9.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Parry, C. D., Myers, B., Morojele, N. K., Flisher, A. J., Bhana, A., Donson, H., & Plüddemann, A. (2004). Trends in adolescent alcohol and other drug use: Findings from three sentinel sites in South Africa (1997–2001). Journal of Adolescence, 27, 429–440.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Saunders, J. B., Aasland, O. G., Babor, T. F., DeLaFuente, J. R., & Grant, M. (1992). Development of the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT): WHO collaborative project on early detection of persons with harmful alcohol consumption II. Addictions, 88, 791–804.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schmidt, A., Barry, K., & Fleming, M. (1995). Detection of problem drinkers: The Alcohol Use Disorders Test (AUDIT). Southern Medical Journal, 68, 52–59.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schroder, K. E., Carey, M. P., & Vanable, P. A. (2003). Methodological challenges in research on sexual risk behavior: I. Item content, scaling, and data analytical options. Annals of Behavioral Medicine, 26, 76–103.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Shisana, O., Rehle, T., Simbayi, L., Parker, W., Bhana, A., Zuma, K., et al. (2005). South African national HIV prevalence, incidence, behaviour and communication survey 2005. Cape Town: Human Sciences Research Council Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Simbayi, L. C., Kalichman, S. C., Jooste, S., Mathiti, V., Cain, D., & Cherry, C. (2004). Alcohol use and sexual risks for HIV infection among men and women receiving sexually transmitted infection clinic services in Cape Town, South Africa. Journal of Alcohol Studies, 65, 434–442.

    Google Scholar 

  • Weinhardt, L., & Carey, M. P. (2001). Does alcohol lead to sexual risk behavior. Annual Review of Sex Research, 12, 125–157.

    Google Scholar 

  • Weir, S. S., Pailman, C., Mahlalela, X., Coetzee, N., Meidany, F., & Boerma, J. T. (2003). From people to places: Focusing AIDS prevention efforts where it matters most. AIDS, 17, 895–903.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • World Health Organization. (2006). AIDS Epidemic Update: December 2006. Geneva: Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS.

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Seth C. Kalichman.

Additional information

National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Grant R21-AA014820 supported this research.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Kalichman, S.C., Simbayi, L.C., Vermaak, R. et al. HIV/AIDS Risks among Men and Women Who Drink at Informal Alcohol Serving Establishments (Shebeens) in Cape Town, South Africa. Prev Sci 9, 55–62 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11121-008-0085-x

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11121-008-0085-x

Keywords

Navigation