Delaying sexual debut as a strategy for reducing HIV epidemic in Kenya.
The study purpose was to determine the association between sexual debut and HIV sero-status, and factors contributing to a positive HIV sero-status. Retrospective cross-sectional data from the Kenya Demographic and Health Survey-2003 were used. Data on women aged 15-49 (n = 3,273) and men aged 15-54 (n = 2,917) accepting HIV testing were retained from three datasets. Stata version 10.1 was used for analyses, p < 0.05. Nine percent of women and 5% of men tested positive for HIV, of whom 46% and 49%, p < 0.001 were aged 16-21 respectively. After adjusting for confounding, women and men who had sexual debut aged 16-21 were 2.31 (95% CI: 1.52-3.51), p < 0.001 and 1.83 (95% CI: 1.07-3.13), p < 0.05 times more likely to test positive for HIV compared to those who never had sex respectively. Early sexual debut continues to be a major risk factor for acquiring HIV infection later in life, suggesting earlier interventions could have a major impact towards fighting the disease.
School of Health Sciences, Winston-Salem State University, Winston-Salem, USA. oonsomu@gmail.com
Elijah O
EO
Onsomu
James K
JK
Kimani
Benta A
BA
Abuya
Ahmed A
AA
Arif
DaKysha
D
Moore
Vanessa
V
Duren-Winfield
George
G
Harwell
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003710:Demography; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006801:Humans; D007630:Kenya / Q000453:epidemiology; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012725:Sexual Behavior; D013997:Time Factors