Tackling the Triple Threat in Kenya

Factors Associated with Protection against HIV Risk, Gender-Based Violence, and Pregnancy among Adolescent Girls and Young Women

Bibliographic Data

ID15333699
AuthorsBrendan Maughan-Brown (0000-0002-7606-8744, University of Cape Town, corresponding author), Boladé Hamed Banougnin (0000-0001-5439-316X, United Nations Population Fund), Madison T Little (0000-0003-1654-737X, Oxford Policy Management), Lucas Hertzog (0000-0002-7814-5109, Curtin University), Ntombekhaya Matsha-Carpentier (Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria), Celestine Mugambi (National Aids Control Council), Hermes Gichane (National Aids Control Council), Lucie D Cluver (0000-0002-0418-835X, University of Cape Town), Elona Toska (0000-0002-3800-3173, University of Cape Town)
Year2025
Volume29
Issue6
Pages1738-1746
Publication date2025-02-13
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueAIDS and Behavior (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1090-7165 • E-ISSN: 1573-3254
PublisherSpringer Science+Business Media (PUBLISHER • DE)
DOI10.1007/s10461-025-04643-9
PMID39939479
OpenAlexW4407398723
LanguageEN
Citations received6
References cited46

The government of Kenya's Triple Threat strategy recognises the need for urgent intervention to address the high incidence of HIV, gender-based violence (GBV) and pregnancy among adolescent girls and young women (AGYW). We used nationally representative data among AGYW aged 13-24 (n = 1344) from the 2018-19 Kenya Violence Against Children & Youth Survey (VACS) in multivariable logistic regression analyses to examine associations between three potential protective factors - gender-equitable attitudes, food security and parental monitoring - and outcomes related to the triple threat: Intimate partner violence (IPV); sexual violence; high HIV exposure risk; adolescent pregnancy; child marriage; and not being in school or paid work. Results showed that AGYW with gender-equitable attitudes were less likely to report IPV (adjusted odds-ratio (aOR):0.47, p < 0.01) and adolescent pregnancy (aOR:0.58, p < 0.05). AGYW who were food secure were less likely to report adolescent pregnancy (aOR:0.57, p < 0.05) and child marriage (aOR:0.51, p < 0.05). Those with high parental monitoring were less likely to report IPV (aOR:0.44, p < 0.01), sexual violence (aOR:0.49, p < 0.05), adolescent pregnancy (aOR:0.61, p < 0.05), and child marriage (aOR:0.41, p < 0.01). AGYW who had gender-equitable attitudes, food security and high parental monitoring (i.e., all three factors compared to none) had lower predicted probabilities of reporting IPV (22.3% vs. 5.0%), sexual violence (20.4% vs. 6.0%), adolescent pregnancy (23.7% vs. 7.7%), and child marriage (10.0% vs. 1.6%). The findings indicate that improving gender-equitable attitudes, food security and parental monitoring may positively impact multiple outcomes related to the triple threat; and that addressing all three may have the greatest impact

Biology · Domestic violence · Environmental health · Odds ratio · Poison control · Population · Pregnancy · Public health · Reproductive health · Sexual violence · Suicide prevention · Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health · Demography · Intimate Partner and Family Violence · Medicine · Psychology · Sex work and related issues