Abstract
BackgroundSexual abstinence is the best available option for preventing both pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections, including HIV/AIDS. Identifying the factors associated with sexual abstinence among youths would have meaningful implications in a generalized HIV epidemic country such as the Côte d'Ivoire. Thus, we explored sexual abstinence behavior among never-married individuals aged 15 to 24 in Côte d'Ivoire and assessed factors that predict sexual abstinence.MethodsWe obtained data from the nationally representative and population-based 2005 Côte d'Ivoire AIDS Indicator Survey, conducted from September 2004 to October 2005. Our sample included 3041 never-married people aged 15 to 24. Of these, 990 reported never having sexual intercourse (primary abstinence) and 137 reported sexual experience but not in the 12 months prior to the survey (secondary abstinence). In all, 1127 youths reported sexual abstinence practice.ResultsOf the 3041 never-married youths, 54.4% were male and 45.6% were female. About 33.0%, 6.7%, and 37.1% of them were practicing primary, secondary, and sexual abstinence behavior, respectively. Females of higher education level were significantly 11.14 times as likely as those of no education to practice either primary or secondary abstinence. Males who were animists, had no religion, or were practicing religions other than Christianity or Muslim were significantly less likely than other male youths to practice sexual abstinence (OR = 0.53, 95% CI = 0.30–0.95). Living in the north-west region of the country significantly decreased the odds of sexual abstinence among female youths. Similarly, female youths living in rural areas were significantly 0.42 times as likely as those in the urban zones to practice sexual abstinence.ConclusionHIV/AIDS prevention program components could include media campaigns, educational intervention improvement, as well as promoting policies that shape female youth livelihoods. Likewise, youth involvement in initiatives to design appropriate messages, and activities to promote positive behaviors or to change negative perceptions could impact on youths' decision to exert abstinence behavior.
Highlights
Sexual abstinence is the best available option for preventing both pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections, including HIV/AIDS
Technical assistance was provided through the MEASURE DEMOGRAPHIC AND HEALTH SURVEY (DHS) program, a project sponsored by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to collect, analyze, and disseminate population and health data
More than one-half of youths lived in urban areas, and significantly more women than men lived in these areas
Summary
Sexual abstinence is the best available option for preventing both pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections, including HIV/AIDS. Identifying the factors associated with sexual abstinence among youths would have meaningful implications in a generalized HIV epidemic country such as the Côte d'Ivoire. In Côte d'Ivoire, the HIV epidemic is generalized. About 58% of female youths and 56% of male youths had premarital sex during the 12 months prior to the survey thereby increasing the risks associated with youth sexual activity such as sexually transmitted infections (including HIV/AIDS) and adolescent pregnancy [3,4,5]. The HIV prevalence rate is high among the youngest generation with females experiencing greater risks than males and rises with age reaching a peak of 10.4% for those ages 30 to 34 [2]. Because AIDS has a long latency period from infection-the average time between HIV infection and AIDS diagnosis is 7 to 9.8 years [6]-we assume people in this age group with AIDS were infected by HIV in adolescence (e.g., between the ages 15–24)
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