French Guiana, a French overseas department in South America, has been classified epidemic for HIV. This territory is consisting of a very young population with almost 45% of them being younger than 20 years of age. Delaying the onset of first sexual intercourse (SI) is one of the major objectives to fight HIV infection in adolescents. The objective of this study is to identify the age of first SI and the risk factors of early onset. A behavioural surveillance survey among students living on the coastline and alongside the Maroni River was conducted in 2011/2012. A total of 1603 students filled out the survey. While 60% had already SI, the mean age of first intercourse was 12.1 years for boys and 13.9 years for girls. Accordingly, over 90% had a premature onset of SI. Risk factors are age, male gender, living alongside the Maroni River, another language than the French being mother tongue, not being religious, alcohol and cannabis consumption and a bad attitude towards condom use. Risk factors for girls are an older first sexual partner, having more than three lifetime sexual partners and condom rupture. Evidence-based implementation with respect of local and socio-demographic aspects is necessary to improve youths' appreciation of SI and related risk of sexual transmitted diseases.
International audienceFrench Guiana has long been the French territory most affected by HIV (Ministry of Health, 2010). Persons unaware of their HIV infection have a preponderant role in the infection of new sexual partners.1 Too often, HIV-infected persons unaware of their infections repeatedly come in contact with physicians without being offered an HIV test.2 In French Guiana, private practitioners perform 70% of all HIV tests and diagnose 45% of new HIV patients.3 Following the national recommendations to do an HIV test each year for every one having sexual relations in French Guiana,4,5 a pilot project using rapid HIV tests in the private practice was developed by the Réseau Kikiwi, a network of health professionals involved in HIV care and testing. The objective here is to present this experience and its evaluation
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