Amsterdam 2015
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| Abstract #2103 - Teen spirit: Adolescents and HIV | ||||
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Session: 46.6: Teen spirit: Adolescents and HIV (Parallel) on Friday @ 09.00-10.30 in C104 Chaired by Tonya Thurman, John Miller Authors: Presenting Author: Mr Shandir Ramlagan - Human Sciences Research Council, South Africa |
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| Additional Authors: | ||||
| Aim: Evidence from a number of studies in Africa including South Africa indicate that a significant proportion of youth start sex early resulting in risky sexual behaviour that leads to unplanned pregnancy, and sexually transmitted infections including HIV. Data thus far has mainly been from a single time point and not necessarily from a national representative sample looking at trends. We investigate trends in age of sexual debut in South Africa (2005-2012) and the socio-demographic determinants of age at sexual debut among youth in 2012. This will be done in order to evaluate the impact of the investment made in HIV prevention interventions and to inform new ones especially given the changing HIV/AIDS epidemiology in South Africa. | ||||
| Method / Issue: Analysis is based on data collected as part of three national household based surveys in South Africa conducted in 2005, 2008 and 2012. The national surveys all utilised a multi-staged, stratified cluster design to 1000 South Africa census enumerator areas (EAs) and then 15 households per EA. The analysis for this presentation focused on adolescents and young adults aged 15-24 years. Kaplan-Meier analysis was utilized to estimate the probability of sexual debut at a given age overtime. Cox proportional hazards regression model was used to examine determinants of time to sexual debut. | ||||
| Results / Comments: Over the three surveys the median age at sexual debut was 18 years for both males and females. Delayed sexual debut was confined between the ages of 15-19 years for both males and females, and increased significantly in 2012 in both sexes among young adults 20-24 years of age. Socio-demographic characteristics were significant detriments of age at first sex. Not attending school, having a dead father or mother, being an orphan was significantly associated with increased likelihood of early sexual debut. Participants receiving grants and any other undisclosed source of income were more likely to engage in early sexual debut. | ||||
| Discussion: Overtime age at first sexual intercourse has not changed significantly in the country, and socio-economic/demographic factors remain the most important as determinants. Interventions targeted at delaying early sexual activity among the youth adults need to be reinforced. | ||||
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