Examining the prevalence and correlates of co-parenting concurrency among U.S. men

Background: Concurrent sexual partnerships play a critical role in accelerating the spread of sexually transmitted infections (STI). Research so far has not considered concurrency between co-parents, which may increase risk of unprotected sex.

Methods: We examined sexual partnership dates and fertility history of male respondents in the 2002 National Survey of Family Growth. We defined co-parents as a man and woman who are the joint, biological parents of a child. Overlapping sexual partnerships with women in the 12 months preceding the interview were considered concurrent. A concurrent partnership was classified as co-parenting if the respondent was a co-parent with ≥1 concurrent partners. We calculated the prevalence of co-parenting concurrency and examined correlates using multivariable Poisson regression.

Results: Among men with ≥1 pair of concurrent sexual partnerships, 18% involved a co-parent. Among men involved in co-parenting concurrency 28% had children with >1 woman. The prevalence of co-parenting concurrency among men <25 years old with concurrent sexual partnerships, was 34% among blacks, 6% among whites, and 23% among Hispanics. Increased poverty[PR<150% 2000 poverty line(4.1(2.3,7.2);ref:≥400% 2000 poverty line], decreased condom use[PRsome2.1(1.1,4.0);PRnone1.8(1.0, 3.2);ref: always], and increased relationship duration[PR1-2years 0.8(0.3,2.1);PR3-5years3.0(1.1,8.7);PR≥6years 8.8(3.9,19.9);ref:<1year] were associated with an increased likelihood of co-parenting concurrency. Incarceration was associated with a decreased likelihood of co-parenting concurrency [PR 0.49(0.24,0.97)].

Conclusion: Almost one in five US men who had concurrent sexual partnerships during the preceding year involved a co-parent. Understanding the context in which different types of concurrent partnerships occur will provide a foundation on which to develop interventions to prevent STIs.