The Prevalence of Sexually Transmitted Infections and Subsequent Association with Exposure to Childhood Violence and Mental Health Outcomes for Adolescents and Young Adults in Zimbabwe

Abstract

Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) represent a major public health concern for young people in developing nations, impacting approximately two-thirds of individuals below the age of 25. This study examined the prevalence and the association between self-reported STIs, childhood violence exposure, and mental health outcomes among adolescents and young adults (13-24 years old) in Zimbabwe. Secondary data from the 2017 Zimbabwe Violence Against Children and Youth Survey (n=8,715) was utilized. Data analysis was performed using chisquare to determine the prevalence estimates for bivariate. Seven logistic regression models were used to examine the significant association between independent variables and outcomes for multivariate. About 45.5% of adolescents and young adults with self-reported STIs were exposed to multiple forms of childhood violence, 49.8% reported lifetime suicide risk, and 44.9% reported moderate-to-severe mental distress in the past 30 days. Furthermore, logistic regression results indicated that adolescents and young adults with self-reported STI diagnoses were more likely to be exposed to multiple forms of childhood violence, including physical, emotional, and sexual violence, as well as mental distress in the past 30 days and lifetime suicide risk compared to those without STIs. Therefore, this study underscores the importance of implementing comprehensive public health strategies to protect the wellbeing of adolescents and young adults with STIs. Interventions should also prioritize raising awareness, destigmatizing STIs, implementing and strengthening violence prevention policies, and addressing mental health problems through community mental health treatment programs in Zimbabwe. Keywords: Childhood violence, Emotional violence, Exposure, Mental distress, Physical violence, Sexual violence, Sexually transmitted infections (STIs), Suicide risk, Zimbabwe.