Partner Violence Norms and HIV Risk-Taking Among Youth in Sub-Saharan Africa

Young people, ages 15-24, are at the greatest risk of acute HIV infection and thus will determine the future course of the epidemic. Most programs to prevent sexual transmission of HIV among youth ignore the mediating influence of sexual and physical violence. This study uses secondary data from more than 15 recent African Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) to examine the association between partner violence norms and youth HIV risk and preventive behaviors in sub-Saharan Africa using spatial analysis methods and multilevel, multivariable analyses. It is hypothesized that violence norms and HIV preventive behaviors will covary at the aggregate level in high prevalence countries. Among female youth, the association between violence and HIV risk and preventive behaviors is hypothesized to be significant in both high and low prevalence countries, reflecting the multiple influences of gender, violence, and risk exposure among female youth. The association between regional-level violence norms and HIV risk and preventive behaviors among female youth is expected to remain significant in multilevel, multivariate models that control for the youth’s own perceptions of violence norms and other factors associated with youth risk-taking. The information from this study can be used to make recommendations on strategies to reduce youth violence risk with the underlying objective of strengthening HIV prevention programs for youth.

Principal Investigator: Ilene S. Speizer

Funding Source: NIH

Grant Number: 1RO3HD055111-01A1

Funding Period: 08/15/07-07/31/09