Adolescent Girls’ Participation In Peer-Group And Improvements On Hiv Knowledge And Condom Use At Sexual Debut In Rural Ethiopia

Abstract

Adolescent period for females is a transition phase to adulthood. It is often a concern for families and national health authorities because of the possibility of unprotected sexual debut, unintended pregnancies and the acquisition of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Adolescents may not have adequately developed life skills to protect themselves due to lack of knowledge or unavailability of protective means; especially in rural communities. However, community-based studies among early and unmarried adolescents regarding HIV knowledge and protective practices as well as interventions that promote greater self-protection in rural Ethiopia are also lacking. Objective: The objective of the study was to assess adolescent girls’ participation in peer-group and improvements in comprehensive knowledge of HIV, knowledge about condoms and condom use at sexual debut in rural West Hararghe, Eastern Ethiopia Methods: This study drew data from a large quasi-experimental implementation study conducted in West Hararghe, Oromia, Ethiopia. The study population was adolescent girls 13–17 years of age, who participated in a peer-group intervention and a comparison group. Provision of sexual and reproductive health (SRH) related education/information was one of the interventions. The study extracted de-identified data from baseline and endline surveys. Multi-level binary logistic regression was used to address the comprehensive knowledge and condom use at sexual debut outcomes, while multivariable logistic regression data analysis techniques was used to assess the correlation between peer-group participation and knowledge about condoms. Results: The odds of comprehensive HIV knowledge were higher among those who received SRH education in peer-group (AOR = 1.36, 95% CI: 1.01, 1.84) than those in the comparison group. The odds of having good Knowledge about condoms was higher among peer-group participants (AOR = 2.15, 95% CI: 1.42,3.26) than those in the comparison group. The odds of using condom during sexual debut was higher among girls who participated in peer-group (AOR: 11.51, 95% CI: 1.95, 67.84) than those in the comparison group. Conclusion: Comprehensive knowledge and condom use at sexual debut was low. Peer-group participation was significantly associated with better comprehensive knowledge of HIV, knowledge about condoms, and condom use at sexual debut among young adolescent girls in rural xv Ethiopia. Further studies are essential to evaluate the effectiveness of the intervention in diverse social contexts.