'I'm in love with an older man': reasons for intergenerational sexual relationships among young women in South Africa

The literature on intergenerational sexual relationships in Africa focuses predominantly on economic motivations. This paper aims to identify the common reasons for older male sexual partners among young women in South Africa. Data for the study came from the Fourth South African National HIV, Behaviour and Health Survey 2012. A representative sample of 620 young women (15-24 years old) with older male sexual partners was extracted. A multiple logistic regression analysis was conducted to adjust for potential confounders. The authors found that more than a quarter of sexually active young women engaged in age-disparate relationships. The majority of the respondents did not see age as an important factor, while financial support ranked fourth in the list of reasons for having older partners. Women who were 20-24 years old (AOR 1.16, CI: 0.59287-1.87493), divorced, separated or widowed (AOR 1.38, CI: 0.65360-1.92105) and who were students or learners (AOR 1.85, CI: 0.41943-1.29402) were more likely to have an older partner for financial reasons. Thus, financial motivations are not the predominant reason for age-disparate relationships; instead, other reasons including age not being important and feeling secure were more cited. Not all young women in South Africa are seeking financial assistance from older sexual partners.