title: Sexual risk behaviours of high school female learners in Mbonge subdivision of rural Cameroon.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Since female learners in high schools in Cameroon fall within the age group hardest hit by HIV/AIDS, it is assumed that these learners might be exposed to sexual risk behaviours. However, little has been explored on the sexual risk behaviours of high school female learners in Cameroon. This study aimed at examining the sexual risk behaviours of high school female learners in Mbonge subdivision of rural Cameroon.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross sectional design was adopted, using a self-administered questionnaire for data collection. Respondents were selected through disproportional stratified simple random sampling resulting in 210 female grade 10 to grade 12 learners from three participating high schools in Mbonge subdivision, Cameroon. Descriptive and inferential statistics were calculated using SPSS version 20 software program.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Majority of the respondents, 54.0% reported being sexually active, of whom only 39.8% used condoms during first sex; 49.5% used condoms during last sex and 29.6% used condoms consistently. Up to 32% of the sexually active respondents had multiple sexual partners in the past one year before the study, while 9.3% had multiple sexual partners during the study period. The mean age of first sex was 15.6 years. Lack of parental control, religion, academic profile, poverty, place of residence and perception of risk of HIV infection were the main factors significantly associated with sexual risk behaviours.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The findings indicate that sexual risk behaviours exist among high school female learners in Mbonge, Cameroon. There is need for campaigns and interventions to bring about sexual behaviour change.
authors.affiliation: HIV/AIDS Prevention Research Network, Cameroon (HIVPREC) Kumba, South West Region, Cameroon.
authors.forename: Elvis Enowbeyang
authors.initials: EE
authors.lastname: Tarkang
mesh_terms: D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000635:transmission; D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior / Q000523:psychology; D002163:Cameroon / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000635:transmission; D015497:HIV-1; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012424:Rural Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012574:Schools / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012725:Sexual Behavior / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: HIV/AIDS; Mbonge subdivision; Sexual risk behaviours; high school female learners; rural Cameroon