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Understanding High School Students' Risk Behaviors to Help Reduce the HIV/AIDS Epidemic in KwaZulu‐Natal, South Africa
Author(s) -
Taylor M.,
Dlamini S.B.,
Kagoro H.,
Jinabhai C.C.,
Vries H.
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
journal of school health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.851
H-Index - 86
eISSN - 1746-1561
pISSN - 0022-4391
DOI - 10.1111/j.1746-1561.2003.tb03580.x
Subject(s) - demography , condom , medicine , odds , psychological intervention , odds ratio , sexually active , human immunodeficiency virus (hiv) , family medicine , logistic regression , psychiatry , syphilis , sociology
Of 901 rural learners (X age 16.1, SD = 2.4) at 10 randomly selected high schools in KwaZulu‐Natal, South Africa, those living with a parent were less likely to drink alcohol (P < 0.0001) or use drugs (P = 0.006). Thirty percent (95% Cl 26.9, 33.1) were sexually active, and 53.1% used a condom in the past 30 days. The odds of males being sexually active was 7.27 the likelihood of females (95% Cl 5.2, 10.1). Only one‐third of male respondents always used condoms. Of sexually active respondents, 46.5% had experienced coercive sex. More males (14.1%) than females (3.6%) smoked cigarettes (P < 0.0001). The odds of males drinking alcohol was 4.5 times that of females (P < 0.0001). Smoking, (OR 2.42, 95% Cl 1.32, 4.44) and drinking, (OR 2.67, 95% Cl 1.71,4.19) among learners increased the likelihood of sexual activity. With youth at increasing risk of HIV/AIDS in KwaZulu‐Natal, South Africa, interventions to reduce learners' risk behaviors are required.