Reducing the vulnerability of adolescents and young people to HIV and STIs

The paper seeks to understand the sexual and reproductive health behaviour of adolescents within the context of urban slum living. Data was obtained from adolescents’ living in Kwesimintsim an urban slum area in Ghana. The study targeted adolescents 905 adolescents’ aged 10-19 years. A multi-staged sampling technique was used to select the individuals needed for the study. The adolescents perception of the general conditions in the area were mixed; while some of the respondents described the conditions in a positive light, others depicted the area negatively. A few indicated that they had ever engaged in any of such activities. The factors that predicted adolescents risk perception towards sexual and reproductive health included: age, ethnicity, membership of social groups, and engagement in economic activities. Adolescents who engaged in economic activities were more likely to perceive themselves at risk of pregnancy/impregnating someone. There is the need to project the positives of the slums to help in the development of the future population since these environments can enhance as well as inhibit adolescents’ reproductive health behaviour in a number of ways.

Using data from the 2008 Ghana Demographic and Health survey, this paper attempts to understand the determinants of HIV/AIDS stigma and discrimination among adolescents in Ghana. Logistic regression is used to examine the determinants of adolescents’ attitudes towards HIV/AIDS stigma and discrimination. Two logistic regression estimates are used to predict the relationship between the explanatory variables – age, sex, level of education, wealth index, residence, region and risky sexual behaviour and the outcome variables - HIV/AIDS stigma and discrimination and among adolescents in Ghana. There results of the study reveal that there is a direct and significant relationship between age and adolescents’ willingness to care for persons living with AIDS. Also, there was a significant and direct relationship between condom use at first sex and willingness to care. However, the relationship between female adolescents’ and their attitude towards a female teacher with AIDS to continue teaching; though direct was not significant. Also, there was a direct and significant relationship between sexual activity and acceptance that teachers with AIDS could continue teaching. To reduce stigma and discrimination among adolescents in Ghana, efforts should be made to intensify the educational campaigns through the mass media and other educational

Students from the states of Nagaland, Manipur and Mizoram come to Shillong, the capital of Meghalaya, every year to pursue their further studies as they find it convenient to come and more over the head quarter of North Eastern Hill University (NEHU) is located in Shillong. Moreover, the two states i.e., Nagaland and Manipur have been ravaged by decades of insurgency and secessionist activities. The resultant effect has had huge impact of growth of quality education institutes, especially those imparting college and higher education to the multitudes to students who pass from schools every year. Also with the pressure from church and socio-religious organization, these three states Nagaland, Manipur and Mizoram have been declared as “dry states” where the sale of alcohol is prohibited by law but in these societies where drinking or consumption of alcohol is a part of their tradition, folklore and culture but conversely their states are dry states where selling of alcohol is banned. So this “contradiction” has its bearing on them the moment they come to Shillong which is a “wet state” where alcohol of any make and price is available in every nook and corner Therefore, it has been hypothesized that these migrants students would consume more alcohol as it is plentily available and engages in risky behaviors which could be a threat.

The debate about the role of concurrent sexual partnerships in the spread of HIV is influenced by weak/limited empirical data on concurrency.

Longitudinal data (n = 2958) were employed to examine the prevalence of individual concurrency (someone who has additional partners) and perceived partner concurrency (partner perceived to have additional partners) by population group and gender in 2005 and 2009. Fixed effects logit regression models were created to examine factors associated with changes in individual concurrency.

The prevalence of individual concurrency increased among black men (from 33% in 2005 to 39% in 2009), remained constant among black women (14%), decreased among coloured men (from 16% to 8%) and remained low among coloured women (2% in 2005 and 1% in 2009). Overall, a small decrease in perceived partner concurrency was observed. Changes in individual concurrency were positively associated with changes in perceived partner concurrency and finding employment; and negatively associated with household income.

Race and gender differences in concurrency should be taken into account in future research and HIV-prevention initiatives. High and increasing levels of concurrency within most recent partnerships among black men highlight this group as a potential focus for such efforts.

Sexual risk behaviour among Nigerian adolescents is a major health concern. Efforts have been made to reduce teenage pregnancy and discourage child marriage in Nigeria yet, just 26% girls in northern Nigeria make it beyond primary school due to sexual vulnerability and over 600,000 Nigerians seek abortion each year while the HIV infection rates among young people aged 15-19 was put at 3.3% by UNFPA. This put 31.7% of the nation’s populace at HIV and STIs risk. Random sampling method was adopted in the investigation of 400 college students and rural adolescent girls sexual activities in Nigeria. Questionnaire and structured interviews were used to determine the level of success public enlightenment has achieved in curbing further spread of HIV and STDs. Findings reveal that rural adolescent girls are most vulnerable and there is positive correlation between education, exposure to media and sexual activity. Recommendations are also made based on the findings to strengthen media impacts in bringing about behavioural change on the subject matter with the consciousness of the discovery of this work that the media is one of the factors that put youths at risk of illicit sexual behavior and its despicable aftermaths and levers that can be used in preventive interventions.

Nigerian is home to an estimated 17 million OVC of which 2.23 million were considered to be orphaned by HIV/AIDS. These children face enormous challenges and are at risk. In response, organizations now provide services to them aimed at long-term sustainability of care. Data were collected from a total of 3,118 children supported by 33 organizations in southern Nigeria to examine how these supports are contributing to these children's well-being. In a series of multivariate analysis controlling for non-intervention factors, children provided with psychosocial support were significantly more likely (odds ratio 1.84, p<0.01) to report that they were happy most of the time, those visited at least once at home by volunteers (odds ratio 1.40, p<0.05) and those who received some educational support (odds ratio 1.93, p<0.01) were significantly more likely to report regular school attendance. In-spite of being served by the program children classified as double orphans were less likely than the other categories to report that they were happy (odds ratio 0.36 p<0.01). Several programming bottlenecks contribute to reduce the effects of these initiatives. It was concluded that more vulnerable orphans may require intimate monitoring than is currently the case to increase their benefits and enhance effectiveness of the program in the future.

South Africa has one of the highest HIV/AIDS prevalence rates in the world. It is estimated that 5.38 million South Africans are living with HIV/AIDS (Statssa 2011). New infections among adults aged 15+ were reportedly 316,900 in 2011 (Statssa 2011). This paper examines South Africa’s mortality due to HIV/AIDS among the youth (15- 34 years old). This age- group is of fundamental importance to the economic and social development of the country and the Integrated Youth Development Strategy of South Africa adds that “many challenges of youth development remain enormous”(NYDA 2012). One of these challenges is the impact of HIV/AIDS on mortality. Data from the national registry of deaths, collated by Stats SA, from 2006- 2009 is used. Life table techniques are employed to quantify and infer the impact of the disease on mortality. Results show by sex, that mortality due to this cause has also remained consistent over the period, with mortality due to HIV/AIDS being higher among females than males. Probability of dying from HIV/AIDS shows that over the period, fluctuations in likelihood of mortality have occurred, but for both males and females (of all age- groups) the chances of dying from this cause have increased in 2009.

HIV/AIDS infection is not the result of ignorance as nearly everyone has sufficient knowledge about AIDS and how it is transmitted in Africa. HIV voluntary counselling and testing (VCT) is the gateway to comprehensive HIV support including access to antiretroviral therapy. Despite the array of delivery approaches and the advantages of VCT, uptake is disappointingly low. This study examines factors associated with willingness to test for HIV among urban poor residents (15-59 years) of Accra.

Descriptive, bivariate and multivariate regression techniques are used to determine the factors influencing willingness to test for HIV using the Edulink Urban Health and Poverty project questionnaire.

Comprehensive knowledge of HIV/AIDS did not influence willingness to test for HIV. This suggests the need for interventions such as behavioural change communication strategies to improve willingness to test for HIV.

Considering the criticallity of perceptively gauging combined effect of risky sexual behavior and substance abuse, this study employs ‘concept of critical events’. Critical event is formulated based on combination of alcohol use, partner type and un/protected sex focusing at context and sequence of events. Data used is collected through randomized cluster sample of 1239 young men from slums of Mumbai. Over three-fourths respondents engaged in critical events, four-fifths of which were unprotected. Girlfriend(s) are more risky partner as perceived partner faithfulness translates into unprotected sex (66%), which further falls six times after alcohol intoxication. Men reporting sex with commercial partner were 8 and 3 times more likely to mix alcohol-sex and unprotected sex. Peer pressure is influential in sexual experimentation and condom use even with girlfriend. Findings highlight alcohol-sex interface with girlfriend being receiver of elevated risk. Study underlines inevitability of innovative methodology to expose convoluted sexuality issues.

Objectives: The study examined the correlates of antisocial behaviour among young people in Ibadan South East local government, Oyo state.
Methods: Primary data was utilized and obtained through questionnaire from secondary school students aged 13-20 years in Ibadan South East Local Government, Ibadan. The study employed samples of 420 respondents. The analysis was done in three stages of univariate, bivariate and multivariate levels.
Results: The results showed that respondents aged above 16 years and residing less than 5 years in place of residence exhibited higher antisocial behaviours. The male sex engages more in substance use, violence and premarital sex and rape as forms of antisocial behaviour than their female counterparts who predominantly report violence and group affiliation. Place of residence, duration of residence, family type and family dissolution were the most important variables explaining the differentials in antisocial behaviour among the male and female sex.
Conclusion: Significant antisocial behaviours occur in this region with sex differentials worse in males