Psychosocial Predictors of Sexual Abstinence among Senior Secondary School Students in an Urban Setting in the Southwest Region of Cameroon
Journal Title: Journal of Clinical Research in HIV AIDS and Prevention - Year 2017, Vol 3, Issue 1
Abstract
Background: In the absence of a cure for HIV and AIDS, prevention remains the most effective strategy to eliminate the pandemic. Abstinence from sexual intercourse is, therefore, the primary prevention weapon among unmarried adolescents and young adults, especially the school-going ones. This study uses the main constructs of the Health Belief Model (HBM), as the theoretical framework to investigate the psychosocial predictors of sexual abstinence among senior secondary school students in an urban setting in the Southwest region of Cameroon Methods: This study adopted a cross-sectional design, collecting data from a stratified random sample of 420 students in November 2016, using a pretested structured questionnaire, and analyzing them using SPSS version 20 software programme, using binomial logistic regressions at the level 0.05. Results: Only 194 (46.2%) were abstaining from sex. Perceived susceptibility to HIV, perceived severity of HIV/AIDS, perceived benefits of sexual abstinence and perceived self-efficacy for sexual abstinence were not that high, 79.8%, 71.0%, 86.4% and 68.3% respectively. None of the above constructs of the HBM was a significant predictor of sexual abstinence. However, increasing age was significantly associated with an increased likelihood of sexual abstinence, OR=1.6 (95% CI 1.20-2.24, p=0.002). Conclusions: Senior secondary school students in urban Cameroon were not practicing sexual abstinence. Interventions and strategies to increase sexual abstinence are highly recommended and should focus on increasing the perception of risk of contracting HIV, which is assumed to be the immediate antecedent of sexual abstinence, on overcoming barriers to sexual abstinence and on sexual abstinence negotiating skills, and should target adolescent students (10-19 years old).
Authors and Affiliations
EE Tarkang, MM Nzegge, E Dadah, E H Ngondihiack, Dzah SM, F Adu-Poku, Ahiabor SY, LB Pencille
Keywords
Related Articles
- EP ID EP263118
- DOI 10.14302/issn.2324-7339.jcrhap-17-1686
- Views 160
- Downloads 0
Report of a False Positive Rapid HIV Test Due to Hepatitis A in a U.S. Army Soldier
A 25 year old, single, active duty soldier presented to a clinic in Afghanistan complaining of malaise, fatigue, acholic stools, and mild jaundice over a 5- to 7-day period. He had significantly elevated liver transamina...
High Rate of Asymptomatic Myocardial Ischemia in HIV Infected Population in Bobo-Dioulasso in Burkina Faso
Introduction The cardiovascular complications have became the 3rd cause of death and the 4th reason for hospitalization of the patients infected by the HIV. The objective of this work was to determine the frequency of...
Update and Expansion of the HIV/AIDS Prevention Program Archive (HAPPA)
Established in 1996 with funding from CDC and NIH, the HIV/AIDS Prevention Program Archive (HAPPA) is now the biggest private sector collection of HIV-related evidence-based behavioral interventions (EBIs). Each EBI in H...
Undergraduate Student’s Perception of HIV/AIDS.A Case of Obafemi Awolowo University Ile-Ife, NIGERIA
Perception of Human Immunodeficiency Virus has been topical due to its central place in determining attitudes and care for people living with HIV/AIDS and having implications for the containment of the epidemic. People l...
Phytochemicals May Arrest HIV-1 Progression
No Abstract