Oral and Anal Sex Practices Among High Schoolers in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

via BMC Public Health, by Amsale Cherie and Yemane Berhane

Background

Understanding the full range of sexual behaviors of young people is crucial in developing appropriate interventions to prevent and control sexually transmitted infections including HIV. However, such information is meager in developing countries. The objective of this study was to describe oral and anal sex practices and identify associated factors among high school youth.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted among high school youth in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. A multi-stage sampling procedure was followed to select a representative sample of school youth. The total sample size for this study was 3840. Data were collected using a self-administered questionnaire. Data analysis was guided by the ecological framework.

Results

The overall proportion of people who reported ever having oral sex was 5.4% (190) and that of anal sex was 4.3% (154). Of these 51.6% (98) had oral sex and 57.1% (87) had anal sex in the past 12 months. Multiple partnerships were reported by 61.2% of the respondents who had oral sex and 51.1% of students practicing anal sex. Consistent condom use was reported by 12.2% of those practicing oral sex and 26.1% of anal sex. Reasons for oral and anal sex included prevention of pregnancy, preserving virginity, and reduction of HIV and STIs transmission. Oral sex practice was strongly and significantly associated with perception of best friends engagement in oral sex (AOR = 5.7; 95% CI 3.6-11.2) and having illiterate mothers (AOR = 11.5; 95%CI 6.4-18.5). Similarly, anal sex practice was strongly and significantly associated with favorable attitude towards anal sex (AOR = 6.2; 95%CI 3.8-12.4), and perceived best friends engagement in anal sex (AOR = 9.7; 95%CI 5.4-17.7).

Conclusion

Considerable proportion of adolescents had engaged in oral and anal sex practices. Multiple sexual partnerships were common while consistent condom use was low. Sexual health education and behavior change communication strategies need to cover a full range of sexual practices.

Read the full study here.


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JAIDS: Youth-Specific Considerations in the Development of Preexposure Prophylaxis, Microbicide, and Vaccine Research Trials

Full article - free [includes a section on rectal microbicides]

This article is one of several from the July 1, 2010 - Volume 54 - Supplement 1, "Inclusion of Adolescents and Young Adults in Biomedical HIV Prevention Research" - click here to read the rest
 

JAIDS Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes:

1 July 2010 - Volume 54 - Issue - pp S31-S42

doi: 10.1097/QAI.0b013e3181e3a922

Supplement Article

Rudy, Bret J MD; Kapogiannis, Bill G MD; Lally, Michelle A MD, MSc; Gray, Glenda E MBBCH, FCPaeds(SA); Bekker, Linda-Gail MBCHB, FCP, PhD; Krogstad, Paul MD; McGowan, Ian MD, PhD

Abstract:

Preventing HIV infection in adolescents and young adults will require a multimodal targeted approach, including individual-directed behavioral risk reduction, community-level structural change, and biomedical interventions to prevent sexual transmission. Trials testing biomedical interventions to prevent HIV transmission will require special attention in this population due to the unique psychosocial and physiologic characteristics that differentiate them from older populations. For example, microbicide research will need to consider acceptability, dosing requirements, and coinfection rates that are unique to this population. Preexposure prophylaxis studies also will need to consider potential unique psychosocial issues such as sexual disinhibition and acceptability as well as unique pharmacokinetic parameters of antiretroviral agents. Vaccine trials also face unique issues with this population, including attitudes toward vaccines, risks related to false-positive HIV tests related to vaccine, and different immune responses based on more robust immunity. In this article, we will discuss issues around implementing each of these biomedical prevention modalities in trials among adolescents and young adults to help to guide future successful research targeting this population.

Read the whole article.