Sexual behaviour among Kenyan adolescents enrolled in an efficacy trial of a smartphone game to prevent HIV

A Cross-Sectional Analysis of Baseline Data

Bibliographic Data

ID2177834
AuthorsVictor Mudhune (0000-0003-4841-4555, Kenya Medical Research Institute, corresponding author), Kate Winskell (0000-0001-7772-3037, Emory University), Robert A Bednarczyk (0000-0002-6812-0928, Emory University), Ken Ondenge (0000-0002-1001-126X, Kenya Medical Research Institute), Calvin Mbeda (0000-0001-8139-5160, Kenya Medical Research Institute), Emily Kerubo (Kenya Medical Research Institute), Richard Ndivo (0000-0002-3201-7953, Kenya Medical Research Institute), Judith Arego (0000-0001-9027-9997, Kenya Medical Research Institute), Marissa Morales (0000-0002-1313-8813, Emory University), Brianna Halliburton (Emory University), Gaelle Sabben (0000-0003-1812-3415, Emory University)
Year2024
Volume21
Issue1
Pages2320188-2320188
Publication date2024-12-31
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueSAHARA-J Journal of Social Aspects of HIV/AIDS (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1729-0376 • E-ISSN: 1813-4424
PublisherInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/17290376.2024.2320188
PMID38388022
OpenAlexW4392774336
LanguageEN
References cited39

Sexual behaviour of adolescents is contextual, with various determinants affecting sexual activity and age of sexual debut. Insight into sexual activity among young adolescents has the potential to influence appropriate sexual and reproductive health interventions. For this analysis, adolescents were recruited as part of the Tumaini smartphone game efficacy trial. Data collection included a self-administered behavioural survey and blood test for HIV and HSV-2. Descriptive statistics were calculated for demographics and measures of sexual behaviour and behavioural intent based on gender and sexual experience, with associations assessed using chi-square tests, t-tests and Wilcoxon rank sum tests as appropriate. We enrolled 996 adolescents, mean age 14 years and 2.2% HSV-2 positivity. Overall, 15% of the adolescents were sexually experienced, this being associated with lower socio-economic status (p = 0.01), household food insecurity (p = 0.008), a living situation without both parents (p < 0.01), substance use (p = 0.02), no adult conversation about future goals (p = 0.003), conversations about condoms (p = 0.01), with some gender disparity within these factors. Among those sexually experienced, 21.7% reported unwilling sex; 17.5% had engaged in transactional sex; 57.8% had willing first sex, of whom 60.9% reported no condom use. Among those abstaining, female adolescents were less likely to contemplate condom use at first sex (p = 0.006). Our findings determine that young sexually active adolescents are likely engaging in unprotected sex and having unwilling sexual experiences. Socio-economic status, living situation and parental monitoring remain significant factors associated with sexual experience among young adolescents. In this context, early adolescence is an opportunity to provide age- and developmentally appropriate education about safer sex practices.Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT04437667

Condom · Descriptive statistics · Environmental health · Family medicine · Human sexuality · Population · Psychiatry · Psychological intervention · Reproductive health · Syphilis · Transactional sex · Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health · Clinical Psychology · Demography · HIV/AIDS Research and Interventions · Medicine · Psychology · Sex work and related issues

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