Vulnerability and risk factors for sexually transmitted infections and HIV among adolescents in Kampala, Uganda

• Published in: AIDS care 2006-10, Vol.18 (7), p.710-716
• Main Authors: Råssjö, E.-B., Mirembe, F. M., Darj, E.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adolescents; Adult; AIDS/HIV; Alcohol Drinking - epidemiology; Attitude to Health; Biological and medical sciences; Chlamydia Infections - epidemiology; Chlamydia trachomatis; Educational Status; Epidemiology. Vaccinations; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General aspects; Gonorrhea - epidemiology; HIV; HIV infection; HIV Infections - epidemiology; Human immunodeficiency virus; Human viral diseases; Humans; Infectious diseases; Male; Medical sciences; MEDICIN; MEDICINE; Neisseria; Neisseria gonorrhoeae; Personality. Affectivity; Poverty; Pregnancy; Prevalence; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychophysiology; Risk; Risk Factors; risk factors Uganda; Sexual Behavior - psychology; Sexual behaviour; Sexuality. Sexual behavior; Sexually transmitted diseases; Sexually Transmitted Diseases - epidemiology; sexually transmitted infections; Smoking - epidemiology; Social relations; Syphilis - epidemiology; Treponema pallidum; Trichomonas Infections - epidemiology; Trichomonas vaginalis; Uganda; Uganda - epidemiology; Viral diseases; Viral diseases of the lymphoid tissue and the blood. Aids; Vulnerability
• ISSN: 0954-0121; 1360-0451; 1360-0451
• DOI: 10.1080/09540120500302934

Three hundred and six sexually experienced adolescents participated in a study on sexually transmitted infection (STI) prevalence and associated risk factors. The prevalence of Neisseria gonorrhoea (NG), Chlamydia trachomatis (CT), Trichomonas vaginalis (TV) and syphilis was 4.5%, 9%, 8% and 4% for females and 4.7%, 5.7%, 0% and 2.8% for males. HIV-seropositivity was found in 15.2% of females and 5.8% of males. Structured face-to-face interviews were used to obtain information about social background, sexual experience and genital symptoms. Four focus-group discussions were used in order to validate the interview data. Females were more likely to be infected by the four treatable STIs and HIV, despite risky behavior being more common among males. Unemployment, little formal education, the presence of bacterial STIs and post-coital bleeding or a bad smell from the vagina was highly associated with the risk for HIV in females. The higher prevalence of STIs, including HIV, among adolescent girls cannot be explained by sexual behavior only, as boys reported more risk behavior and were still less affected by STIs. Biological and social factors are definitely of importance.