Background: In Uganda, just like in many sub-Saharan countries, studies on Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) among married women are limited. The aim of this paper was to determine the correlates of emotional, sexual, physical IPV and any form of IPV among married women in Uganda. Methods: The 2016 Uganda Demographic and Health Survey (UDHS) data was used, and a weighted sample of 6879 married women were selected from the Domestic Violence module. Frequency distributions were used to describe the characteristics of respondents. Chi-square tests were used to establish the association between IPV and the explanatory variables. Binary logistic regressions were used to establish the factors that were associated with IPV among married women in Uganda. Results: More than half (56%) of the married women experienced some form of IPV. Sexual IPV was the least prevalent (23%) and 4 in 10 women (41 and 40%) experienced physical and emotional IPV, respectively. Factors associated with all the different forms of IPV included, age, region, witnessing parental violence, partner's controlling behaviors, duration of the relationship, and frequency of intoxication of the male partner. Conclusion: IPV among Ugandan married women is far too common. This calls for collective efforts to reduce IPV in Uganda by addressing excessive alcohol consumption, controlling behaviors, and lack of awareness of the issue. Interventions aimed at preventing perpetration and tolerance of violence in the home settings should be promoted.

Background Early medical checkups during and after delivery are key strategies to detect, prevent and treat maternal health concerns. Knowledge of interrelationships between early Antenatal Care (ANC), skilled delivery and early postnatal care (EPNC) is essential for focused and well-targeted interventions. This paper investigated the interconnectedness between maternal health services in Uganda. Objective This study examines the predictors of interrelationships between early antenatal care, health facility delivery and early postnatal care. Methods We used a sample of 10,152 women of reproductive ages (15–49), who delivered a child five years prior to the 2016 Uganda Demographic and Health Survey. A generalized Structural Equation Model and STATA 13.0 software were used. Results Early ANC was a mediating factor for health facility delivery (aOR=1.04; 95% CI=1.01-1.14) and EPNC (aOR=1.1; 95% CI=1.05-1.26). Increased odds of early ANC utilization was directly associated with: Adult women aged 35-49 (aOR=1.18; 95% CI=1.10-1.35), having completed primary seven (aOR=1.68; 95% CI=1.56-1.84); distance to a health facility (aOR=1.35; 95% CI=1.23-1.73) and costs (aOR=1.85; 95% CI=1.31-2.12) not being a problem, available community workers (aOR=1.06; 95% CI=1.04-1.17), pregnancy complications (aOR=2.04; 95% CI=1.85-2.26) and desire for pregnancy (aOR=1.15; 95% CI=1.07-1.36). Through early ANC utilization, being married (aOR=1.16; (=1.04*1.10)), no distance issues ((aOR=1.40; (=1.04*1.35)) and complications (aOR=2.12; (=1.04*2.04)) indirectly influenced utilization of health facility delivery. Women aged 20-34 (aOR=1.01; (=0.92*1.1)), completing primary seven (aOR=1.85; (=1.69*1.1)) and no cost problems (aOR=2.04; (=1.85*1.1)) indirectly influenced EPNC. Conclusion Early antenatal care was a mediating factor for health facility delivery and EPNC; and hence, there is need for more focus on factors for increased early antenatal care utilization. Women with higher education and those with no cost problems were more likely to have early ANC utilization, skilled delivery and EPNC; therefore there is need to design and implement policies targeting social and economically disadvantaged women.

Background: In Uganda, just like in many sub-Saharan countries, studies on Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) among married women are limited. The aim of this paper was to determine the correlates of emotional, sexual, physical IPV and any form of IPV among married women in Uganda.Methods: The 2016 Uganda Demographic and Health Survey (UDHS) data was used, and a weighted sample of 6879 married women were selected from the Domestic Violence module. Frequency distributions were used to describe the characteristics of respondents. Chi-square tests were used to establish the association between IPV and the explanatory variables. Binary logistic regressions were used to establish the factors that were associated with IPV among married women in Uganda.Results: More than half (56%) of the married women experienced some form of IPV. Sexual IPV was the least prevalent (23%) and 4 in 10 women (41% and 40%) experienced physical and emotional IPV, respectively. Factors associated with all the different forms of IPV included, age, region, witnessing parental violence, partner’s controlling behaviors, duration of the relationship, and frequency of intoxication of the male partner. Conclusion: IPV among Ugandan married women is far too common. This calls for collective efforts to reduce IPV in Uganda by addressing excessive alcohol consumption, controlling behaviors, and lack of awareness of the issue. Interventions aimed at preventing perpetration and tolerance of violence in the home settings should be promoted.

BackgroundSafe male circumcision (SMC) is a known efficacious intervention in the prevention of heterosexual HIV acquisition. However, there are perceptions that SMC may lead to behavior disinhibition towards risky sexual behaviors. We assessed the association between male circumcision, risky sexual behaviors and HIV prevalence among men in a nationally representative sample.MethodsData was extracted from the Uganda AIDS Indicator Survey (2011), a stratified two-stage cluster sample, with a total of 7,969 ever sexually active men aged 15–59 years. The association between risky sexual behaviors (non- marital/non-cohabiting sexual relations, non-use of condoms, transactional sex, multiple (4+) lifetime partners) and male circumcision status were determined using odds ratios (OR) and their 95% confidence intervals, through logistic regression models. All analyses were conducted in Stata version 12.ResultsOverall, the prevalence of male circumcision was 28%; higher among men aged 25–34 years, 32%, and lowest among those aged 45–59 years, 18%. HIV prevalence was significantly lower among the circumcised, 4.8% compared to the uncircumcised men, 7.8% (p < 0.001). The commonest risky sexual behaviors were multiple life-time sexual partners (4+), 59%; non-use of condoms with non-marital sexual partners, 55%; and having non-marital sex, 33%. In comparison with the uncircumcised, circumcised men had higher odds of engaging in non-marital sex AOR = 1.26 (95% CI: 1.05-1.52), reporting multiple (4+) life-time partners, AOR = 1.46 (95% CI: 1.27-1.67). The odds of non-use of condoms with a non-marital partner were also significantly lower among the circumcised compared to the uncircumcised men, AOR = 0.79 (95% CI: 0.63-0.98).ConclusionsAlthough risky sexual behaviors were more common among circumcised men, HIV prevalence was lower among the circumcised men relative to the uncircumcised. These observations suggest a need to promote the already known HIV intervention strategies especially among the circumcised men.

BackgroundHigh prevalence of Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) among adolescents is a serious public health concern. Although many factors are attributed to adolescents’ risk of STI infections, the association between out of school adolescents’ employment status and STIs has not been thoroughly explored in Uganda, yet many adolescents are known to be employed. Consequently, the extent to which adolescents’ employment status may be a risk factor for unprotected sex and STIs among female adolescents is unclear. This study examines the association between female out of school adolescents’ employment status and STI status using the Uganda Demographic and Health Survey (UDHS) data for 2016.MethodsBoth descriptive and multilevel binary logistic regressions were used to analyse the data. The descriptive statistics provided an overview of the association between the two main variables while the multilevel binary logistic estimated the relationship between employment status and STI status, while controlling for other fixed factors and community random factors.ResultsCompared to female adolescents who were not employed or not working, the odds of reporting positive STIs were significantly higher for female adolescents who were working but received no pay (1.801(95% CI = 1.105–2.936), were self-employed in agriculture (1.502 (95% CI = 1.003–2.250) and who did manual jobs (2.258(95% CI = 1.429–3.568) whether skilled or not. Likewise, female adolescents who had two or more lifetime sexual partners (11.679 (95% CI = 1.254–2.248) had significantly higher odds of reporting STIs than those who had only one lifetime sexual partner.ConclusionOut of school female adolescents who are employed in various types of low wage employments are at greater risk of exposure to STIs than their counterparts who do not work in Uganda. Instead of being a protective factor against the risk of STIs, their employment may expose them to risky sexual behaviour and STIs, given the vulnerabilities female adolescents who have dropped out of school tend to report. Therefore, the provision of decent employment opportunities for these females may provide an avenue for instructional scaffolding to build the life skills and empower these females so that they are better able to reduce their exposure to STIs.