AEGiS-13IAC: Triangulation of biological markers and quantitative and qualitative responses in sexual behaviour research with adolescents in rural Tanzania.

13th International AIDS Conference

Durban, South Africa - July 9-July 14, 2000

Triangulation of biological markers and quantitative and qualitative responses in sexual behaviour research with adolescents in rural Tanzania.

Int Conf AIDS 2000 Jul 9-14; 13:65 (abstract no.. LBPeD7123)

Plummer M, Todd J, Changalucha J, Mshana G, Wamoyi J, Balira R, Mosha F, Wight D, Obasi A, Peeling R, Mabey D, Grosskurth H, Hayes R, Ross D
NIMR/AMREF/LSHTM Collaborative Research Projects, Mwanza, Tanzania, United Republic of. Fax: + 255 68 500019, E-mail: mema@twiga.com.

BACKGROUND: Self-reported sexual behaviour may be incorrect e.g. because of misunderstanding the question, poor recall or intentional misrepresentation. One way to check the validity of self-reported data is to triangulate self-reported results with biological markers such as STIs and pregnancy.

METHODS: In 1998 9,280 adolescents answered face-to-face questionnaires (FFQ) and provided urine specimens which were tested for HIV antibodies by ELISA, chlamydia and gonorrhoea by PCR, and pregnancy by dipstick. A sub-sample of 4,958 youth answered a self-completion questionnaire (SCQ). In 1999-2000, a sub-sample of 50 randomly selected youth and 20 HIV+ youth underwent in-depth interviews. Reported sexual intercourse was compared across the three methods.

RESULTS: 65 of the youth who completed both questionnaires had one or more of four biological markers of sexual activity: HIV, Chlamydia trachomatis, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, and/or pregnancy. 53% of females and 29% of males who had a biological marker denied ever having had sex in both questionnaires; an additional 16% of girls and 7% of boys denied sex in one of the questionnaires. None of the 11 HIV+ girls reported sex in either questionnaire, but 10 reported sex in in-depth interviews; 44% of HIV+ boys reported sex in the FFQ, 60% in SCQ, and 89% in in-depth interviews. There was no difference in reported sex for randomly selected boys across the three methods, but among randomly selected girls sex was reported by 14% in the FFQ, 24% in the SCQ and 68% in in-depth interviews.

CONCLUSIONS: High-risk youth, particularly girls, may often deny sexual experience in quantitative surveys. Qualitative methods may be more effective in eliciting correct information about sexual behaviour from females and from high risk males but they are time-consuming and so can only be done in small numbers.

Keywords: AEGIS, Tanzania, Sex Behavior, Research, HIV Infections, Coitus, Adolescent Behavior, Data Collection, Questionnaires, Biological Markers, HIV Seropositivity, Adolescent, Human, Female, Male, Adolescence, Pregnancy, methods, AIDS
000709
LBPeD7123