A Comparison of the Sexual and Reproductive Experiences and Intentions of Adolescents Perinatally Infected with HIV to Those of Other Adolescents in Uganda

Francis Obare, Population Council
Harriet Birungi, Population Council

This paper compares the sexual and reproductive experiences and intentions of adolescents perinatally infected with HIV who knew their sero-status to those of adolescents in the general population who did not know their HIV status using data from Uganda. Analysis involves a simple comparison of means and proportions together with the relevant tests of significance, a life-table approach, and standardization that accounts for age and sex compositional differences between the two study samples. The findings show that both groups of adolescents did not significantly differ from each other in terms of the probability of sexual debut at each age and whether they intended to have children in future. They, however, significantly differed in terms of current condom use, pregnancy experiences, and the desired timing of future childbirth. These results underscore the complex relationship between HIV/AIDS on the one hand and sexual activity and fertility on the other.