- guardian.co.uk, Tuesday October 24 2000 02.18 BST
Australian researchers also found that women who had sex with other women were more likely to have got pregnant, had abortions or injected drugs.
A team led by Katherine Fethers at Sydney hospital analysed the medical records of almost 3,000 women, about half of whom had experienced lesbian sex. All had attended a public sexual health clinic.
Records suggest that women who have sex with women "show considerable sexual and non-sexual risk-taking behaviours", the researchers said.
Some 93% of them reported sexual contact with a man - 9% with more than 50 partners, compared with 2% of heterosexual women. They were three times more likely to have had sex with a homosexual or bisexual man. In addition, a history of pregnancy and abortion was more common.
Women with female sexual partners were six times more likely to inject drugs, and were significantly more at risk from hepatitis B and C. Of the total, five lesbians and three heterosexuals were HIV positive.
Press Association
