The negotiating strategies determining coitus in stable heterosexual relationships*

Heterosexual behaviour is a complex subject and one which is aggravated by confounding variables. Few studies have investigated the way in which one variable, namely coitus, is initiated and negotiated in stable marital relationships. As the HIV/AIDS pandemic spreads in sub-Saharan Africa, the subject of marital coitus becomes of increasing concern. This study tests a methodology of semi-structured interviews and diary-keeping techniques to investigate how the activity is initiated and negotiated. A research team monitored the study and evaluated the research techniques. The study concluded that the HIV/AIDS pandemic is affecting the initiation and negotiation of coitus between marital partners and that the partners wish to renegotiate the relationship, but the mechanisms for renegotiation are not at present available. In the second decade of the HIV/AIDS pandemic certain trends have become noticeable. In developed countries the main HIV high-risk groups are intravenous drug users and homosexuals, while in developing countries, particularly sub-Saharan Africa, the main transmission routes are through perinatal and heterosexual activity. Heterosexual behaviour