Factors associated with adolescent’s early sexual initiation after two decades of hiv interventions in Kabale District

Abstract

Initiation of first sexual intercourse is a key social developmental transition of youth, related to physical maturation, cognitive development, increasing awareness and appreciation of one’s body; consolidation of personal and sexual identity, and sexual relationship formation. This study assessed the predictors of adolescent’s early sexual initiation after two decades of HIV interventions in Kabale district. Method: This study utilized secondary data collected from Kabale district and employed a cross-sectional study design. It focused on adolescents aged 10-24 years, including only those who reported having ever engaged in sexual intercourse. Adolescents who had never had sex or had missing data on the variable "age at first sex" were excluded from the analysis. A final sample of 135 adolescents was selected to explore predictors of early sexual initiation. Results: Results showed that adolescents with secondary education were less likely to initiate sex early compared to adolescents with no education [OR=0.018; CI=0.002-0.139; p=0.000]. Surprisingly, the odds of early sexual initiation were lower among adolescents living with none of the parents compared to those living with both parents [OR=0.173; CI=0.340-0.751; p=0.019]. Furthermore, adolescents who were working as peasant farmers had decreased odd of early sexual initiation compared to students [OR=0.174; CI=0.047-0.644; p=0.009]. Conclusion: Given the continued relevance of HIV interventions, these findings highlight the need for targeted programs that address education, family structure, and economic opportunities to further delay sexual initiation.