Gender Differences in Cues That Affect Condom Use among Adolescents in Lomé, Togo

Abstract

A population-based sample study of adolescent women and men from Lomé, Togo, was conducted to examine their responses to personal experiences with AIDS. Information was obtained on youth reproductive health knowledge, attitudes and practices, including attitudes towards HIV/AIDS and personal experience with AIDS. Multivariate results demonstrate that an important factor that distinguishes adolescent male condom users from non-users of condoms is the knowledge of someone who died of AIDS. Conversely, personal experience with AIDS was unrelated to reported condom use among adolescent women. The results illustrate that reproductive health programmes directed towards adolescents need to target men with messages different from women. Sexually active men respond to personal experience with AIDS by adopting condoms whereas women may have less control over condom use and have other strategies such as abstinence and fidelity to protect themselves from AIDS and unintended pregnancies. RÉSUMÉLes différences fondées sur les sexes dans les signals qui affectent l'utilisation des préservatifs chez les adolescents à Lomé, Togo. Nous avons mené une étude échantillonnée des femmes et des hommes à Lomé. Cette étude, basée sur la population, avait pour but d'examiner leurs réponses à des expériences personnelles par rapport au SIDA. Nous avons recuelli des renseignements sur la connaissance de la santé reproductive chez la jeunesse, ses attitudes et ses pratiques y compris ses attitudes envers le VIH/SIDA et ses expériences personnelles à l'égard du SIDA. Les résultats multifactoriels montrent qu'un facteur important qui distingue les usagers-hommes des préservatifs de non-usagers des préservatifs est le fait d'avoir connu quelqu'un qui est mort du SIDA. Inversement, l'expérience personnelle à l'égard du SIDA n'était pas liée à l'emploi des préservatifs chez les adolescentes. Les résultats montrent que les programmes de la santé reproductive qui sont dirigés vers les adolescents, doivent cibler les hommes avec des messages qui sont différents de ceux des femmes. Les hommes qui sont sexuellement actifs répondent à l'expérience personnelle vis-à-vis du SIDA en adoptant des préservatifs alors que les femmes auront peut-être moins d'autorité sur l'emploi des préservatifs et elles ont d'autres stratégies telles l'abstinence et la fidelité pour se protéger contre le SIDA et contre les grossesses non désirées. (Rev Afr Santé Reprod 2002; 6[3]: 70-81)

Gender Equity and HIV/AIDS Prevention: Comparing Gender Differences in Sexual Practice and Beliefs among Zimbabwe University Students

“…An examination of risk assessment studies focusing on African universityaged students reveals variability in risk-factor definitions not withstanding the very few studies isolating this age group [2,4]. We found four recent risk assessment and behavioral intervention studies specific to African university students [5,[13][14][15] and one study that specifically addressed sexual behavior and condom use among youth in Zimbabwe [9].…”

“…With the AIDS epidemic in Africa largely unabated [1], it is critical to understand whether prevention education activities adequately address differences in sexual practices and beliefs between men and women. Though there are an increasing number of rigorously evaluated interventions in the past ten years, few can infer causality between prevention programs and gender-specific risk-taking behavior [2]. Our understanding of the impact of education and the knowledge of whether a program's objectives can be generalized to men and women is limited [3], thus, the need to increase the relevance of programs intended to advance gender equity in Africa is urgent.…”

“…Though gender differences in risk factors such as condom use have been studied, such differences are most often considered secondary to variables such as the age of cohorts [4][5][6], occupations [7], perceived risk of infection [3], socio-economic status [8] and access to information [2,9,10]. When gender equity and women's rights issues are acknowledged as primary risk variables, assessment of these variables varies according to such dimensions as economics [11,12], poverty and empowerment [8], and beliefs about rights to refuse sex [12].…”

An examination of knowledge, attitudes and practices related to HIV/AIDS prevention in Zimbabwean university students: Comparing intervention program participants and non-participants

“…14 Few African countries can show significant gains in slowing the AIDS epidemic and though there is an increasing number of well designed prevention interventions, only a few can claim effectiveness in reducing risk-taking behavior or the ability to generalize their findings to other populations. 10,15 There is general agreement about the primary risk factors that are responsible for the intractable rate of HIV infections. 11 However, there is also acknowledgment that there is considerable variability in which factors are most critical for reducing risks for select ages or groups.…”

“…10,11 There are four HIV prevention studies specific to African university students 8,[12][13][14] and one study that specifically addresses sexual behavior and condom use among youth in Zimbabwe. 7 From these and other studies that examine universityaged cohorts, there are limited comparative data available about behavior among Zimbabwe's university-aged students.…”