Abstract
We assessed sexual experiences among adolescent and young adults living with HIV (AYALHIV) attending the adolescent HIV care clinic in Korle Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH). Cross-sectional study conducted in 2015. HIV clinic at KBTH. AYALHIV who attended the adolescent HIV care clinic. AYALHIV were interviewed with a structured questionnaire to obtain data on their socio-demographic characteristics and sexual experiences. The data was analyzed with STATA version 13. sexual experiences of adolescents and young people living with HIV. Of 101 participants, 60.4% (61/101) were males. The mean age of respondents was (18±3.2) years with an average age at sexual debut (16.2±4.2) years. A third of the respondents (34/101) had had sex before and out of them 76.5% (26/34) were males. Seventeen percent (4/23) had multiple sexual partners and 38.1% (8/21) of sexually active use condom at last sexual intercourse. Eighty-six percent (87/101) of respondents knew their HIV status, 66.7% (58/87) of them were males. There was a significant association (p<0.05) between being male and knowledge of HIV positive status. Knowledge of a respondents' HIV positive status was found to be positively associated with ever using condom. Sexual experience prevalence is high among AYALHIV. More males were sexually active, not using condom and had multiple sexual partners. Safer sexual practices such as consistent use of condoms, need to be intensified especially during counselling sessions. This could contribute to the reduction in prevalence of HIV among the adolescents in the country. This work was funded by the authors.
Highlights
Adolescence is a critical transition period from childhood to adulthood characterized by key development experiences
The eagerness of many young people to experiment with sexuality and sexual orientation may make them vulnerable to sexual exploitation resulting in some of them getting infected with sexually transmitted infections (STIs) including HIV.[2]
The prevalence of HIV in other age groups has decreased, the 2016 HIV sentinel report for Ghana revealed that the prevalence of HIV among the 15-24 age group still stands at 1.1%
Summary
Adolescence is a critical transition period from childhood to adulthood characterized by key development experiences. During this period, young people develop their self-identity, explore their sexuality and go through rapid hormonal changes which can make them vulnerable.[1]. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), about 30% of all new HIV infections occur among young people ages 15-25 years globally.[4] Sub-Saharan Africa remains the most affected region.[5] the prevalence of HIV in other age groups has decreased, the 2016 HIV sentinel report for Ghana revealed that the prevalence of HIV among the 15-24 age group still stands at 1.1% .6. This is an indication that more adolescents are becoming sexually active
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