Risky Sexual Behavior and Its Determinants among Orphan and Vulnerable Children in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Back Ground: Risky sexual behavior among orphans and vulnerable children and its associated physical, psychological and social consequences is becoming a major public health concern globally. Objectives: To assess the prevalence of risky sexual behavior and its determinants among orphan and vulnerable children in Addis Ababa. Methodology: A community based cross sectional study was conducted on three support and care giving organizations for orphans and vulnerable children in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia from March to June 2014. A total of 422 orphan and vulnerable children were selected using systematic sampling. Data were collected using pre tested self-administered questionnaire. Logistic regression was used to analyze the data. Result: A total of 407 (96.4%) respondents participated in this study. Among them 112 (27.5%) had sexual intercourse in their life time, of these 50 (44.6%) started sex before the age of 15, 94 (83.9%) had forced sex, 84 (75.0%) had multiple sexual partners, only 16 (14.3%) used condom the first time they had sex and 96 (85.7%) participated in transactional sex. Females were about 3.25 (2.67 - 7.3) times more likely to engage in risky sexual behavior than male respondents, double orphans had 4.32 (2.45 - 9.54) odds of risky sexual behavior compared to their counterparts. Those respondents who had knowledge of HIV transmission and prevention were less likely to be involved in risky sexual behavior 0.58 (0.41 - 0.93). Conclusion: Orphan and vulnerable children are at a higher likelihood of risky sexual behavior. Intervention targeted at multilevel such as orphan survival training, assertive communication skills, sexuality education and education about HIV risk perception, physical, psychological and human right protection, social support, and economic access for basic needs need to be given consideration.

National trends in sexual intercourse and usage of contraception among Korean adolescents

Background The exact influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on sexual intercourse and usage of contraception remains largely uncharted territory.To bridge this gap in knowledge,we conducted a comprehensive,cross-sectional examination of long-term trends in the prevalence of sexual intercourse and usage of contraception among South Korean adolescents from 2006 to 2022.Methods In our research,we drew upon data encompassing 1,138,799 South Korean adolescents aged 12 to 18 years,derived from the Korean Youth Risk Behavior Web-based Survey(KYRBS)over a period spanning from 2006 to 2022.We focused on the prevalence of sexual intercourse,contraception utilization,and the underlying associated factors among this demographic.The KYRBS data was collected using a complex sampling strategy to determine the national prevalence estimates and shifts in prevalence before(2006-2019)and during(2020-2022)the COVID-19 pandemic era.Results During the pre-pandemic period,a decrease in adolescent sexual intercourse was observed(6.34%in 2006,5.53%in 2012,and 5.87%in 2019).However,in the post-pandemic period(2020-2022),there was a surge in sexual intercourse(4.55%in 2020 and 6.20%in 2022).This evident alteration in sexual intercourse trajectory between pre-and post-pandemic periods was statistically significant[βdiff,0.950;95%confidence interval(CI),0.756-1.144].Regarding contraceptive use among South Korean adolescents,there was an increase in the pre-COVID-19 pandemic phase across all demographic segments(14.61%in 2006,22.30%in 2012,and 47.69%in 2022)but a notable decline when compared with the pre-and post-pandemic periods(βdiff,-0.319;95%CI,-0.454 to-0.184).Additionally,during the study period,a decrease in sexual intercourse was observed in the pre-pandemic period(β,-0.129;95%CI,-0.148 to-0.110),followed by an increase in the post-pandemic period(β,0.821;95%CI,0.627 to 1.014).This shift is highlighted by an effect size of 0.96[weighted odds ratio(wOR);95%CI,0.92 to 1.00],indicating a substantial change in adolescent sexual behaviors across study periods.Conclusions The increase in sexual intercourse and decrease in usage of contraception observed in our study between the pre-and post-COVID-19 periods suggests a potential threat to sexual health among South Korean adolescents.This trend emphasizes the ongoing necessity of raising awareness about adolescent sexual behavior in South Korea.

Economic Development, Risky Sexual Behavior, and AIDS Epidemics--Theory and Evidence

In this paper, we present a simple theoretical model to investigate how economic development affects AIDS epidemics through its influence on individuals＇ sexual behavior, building on the literature on economic growth with endogenous mortality concern. We employ provincial data from China on the incidence rate of AIDS between 2002 and 2008 to test the theoretical predictions. The findings are： （1） a rise in personal income/wealth induces more safe sexual activities and reduces the prevalence of AIDS; and （2） increases in public health expenditure do not have a significant positive impact on individuals＇ preference of risky sexual activity over safe sexual activity.

The Internet May Encourage Risky Sexual Behavior

“网恋”,作为一个新名词,始见于报端。“网恋”,似乎以悲剧或失败告终者居多。本文让我们大吃一惊: Over 80% of those questioned reported having Internet access, and almost35% of these men said they went online to seek a sexual partner, the majorityreporting they did so more than once. …seeking sex on the Internet was generally associated with high-risk sexualbehavior。 我的儿子,每日上网,近来成绩迅速下跌,此文引起我的思考:Interntrepresent a new risk environment?】