Table 1 Characteristics of Southern African lesbian and bisexual women by forced sex experience (N = 591)

Age (mean) (SE)

26.0 (0.27)

25.8

26.5

25.4

26.8

0.73

Race

3.56

 Black

464 (78.8)

68.8

14.2

7.3

9.7

 Coloured

73 (12.4)

65.8

17.8

5.5

11.0

 Other

52 (8.8)

73.1

17.3

1.9

7.7

Education

13.08**

 Low

269 (45.7)

73.0

15.7

5.3

6.0⁺

 High

319 (54.3)

64.3

13.8

8.2

13.8⁺

Employment

24.10*

 Full time

192 (32.4)

70.8

16.1

3.1

9.9

 Part time

73 (12.4)

65.8

17.8

4.1

12.3

 Student

96 (16.2)

72.9

14.6

7.3

5.2

 Unemployed

199 (33.7)

67.8

11.6

8.5

12.1

 Other

31 (5.2)

58.1

22.6

19.4⁺

0.0

Regular income

5.76

 No

302 (51.9)

67.5

13.6

8.6

10.3

 Yes

280 (48.1)

70.4

16.8

4.3

8.6

Health insurance

7.00

 No

374 (63.9)

65.5

16.0

7.5

11.0

 Yes

211 (36.1)

75.4

13.3

5.2

6.2

Country

76.62***

 Botswana

51 (8.6)

88.2

11.8

0.0

0.0⁺

 Namibia

112 (19.0)

50.9⁺

9.8

9.8

29.5⁺

 Zimbabwe

64 (10.8)

65.6

17.2

6.3

10.9

 South Africa

364 (61.6)

72.3

16.5

6.6

4.7⁺

(Ever) married

5.34

 No

543 (91.9)

69.8

14.0

6.8

9.4

 Yes

48 (8.1)

58.3

25.0

4.2

12.5

Has children

27.14***

 No

451 (76.3)

72.9

12.2

7.5

7.3

 Yes

140 (23.7)

55.7

23.6⁺

3.6

17.1⁺

Sexual attraction

5.90

 Women only

416 (70.5)

68.3

14.2

8.2

9.4

 Women/men

174 (29.5)

70.1

16.7

2.9

10.3

Sexual identification

6.14

 Lesbian/Gay

452 (76.9)

68.4

14.6

8.0

9.1

 Other

136 (23.1)

70.6

15.4

2.2

11.8

Gender orientation

 Masculinity, mean (SE)

2.57 (0.05)

2.57

2.44

2.88

2.56

1.10

 Femininity, mean (SE)¹

2.93 (0.05)

2.93^a

3.25^b

2.54^a

2.62^a

4.04**

General sense of belonging,

 Mean (SE)¹

2.86 (0.03)

2.91^b

2.72^a

2.91^a

2.67^a

3.52*

LGBT sense of belonging,

 Mean (SE)¹

3.25 (0.03)

3.31^c

3.29^c

3.11^a

2.87^b

10.10***

Drinking problems, mean (SE)¹

1.71 (0.06)

1.51^c

1.87^a

2.78^b

2.07^b

10.54***

Drug use problems

 In the last month

207 (35.0)

59.9

19.3

6.8

14.0

4.83**

 None in last month

384 (65.0)

73.7

12.5

6.5

7.3

Mental distress, mean (SE)¹

2.12 (0.04)

1.97^b

2.43^a

2.42^a

2.53^a

14.32***

STI symptoms, mean (SE)¹

1.85 (0.10)

1.55^a

2.35^b

2.14^a

3.44^c

11.40***