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. 2012 Mar 7;3(1):e15.
doi: 10.4081/jphia.2012.e15.

Factors Associated with HIV/AIDS Sexual Risk Among Young Women Aged 15-24 Years in Nigeria

Chinekwu A Obidoa  1 , Cyr E M'Lan  1 , Stephen L Schensul  1
Affiliations

Factors Associated with HIV/AIDS Sexual Risk Among Young Women Aged 15-24 Years in Nigeria

Chinekwu A Obidoa et al. J Public Health Afr. .

Abstract

The growing rate of sexual risk-taking among young people contributes significantly to the spread of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Nigeria. This study, explores the influence of socio-demographic, HIV/AIDS awareness and female empowerment on the sexual risk behaviors of unmarried Nigerian women aged 15-24. The data presented in this paper was drawn from the 2003 Nigeria National Demographic and Health Survey. The sample consisted of unmarried women aged 15-24 in the dataset. Data was collected through a structured and interviewer administered questionnaire. Multivariate logistic regression models were used to identify the most important predictors of sexual risk behaviors. Sexual risk-taking is relatively high among unmarried young women. Among those who are sexually active, 80% indicated that they did not use a condom during their first sexual encounter. Regression analysis revealed that younger age, lower HIV/AIDS prevention and transmission knowledge, lower knowledge of where to obtain condoms, lower material standard of living and greater intimate partner violence were significantly associated with sexual risk-taking in this population. Findings revealed that the sexual behavior of unmarried Nigerian women aged 15-24 is influenced by a complex matrix of factors. Identifying specific processes and contexts that promote the concentration of risk among sub-sections of young unmarried women aged 15-24 years in Nigeria should be a research and intervention priority.

Keywords: HIV/AIDS; Nigeria; sexual risk; young women.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of interest: the authors report no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Age at first sex.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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