AIDSWEEKLY Plus; Monday, November 22, 2004
Staff Medical Writers

"Adolescents are the focus of many interventions that aim to prevent HIV transmission. In order for these interventions to be effective, it is essential to understand adolescents' sexual behavior.

"Using data collected in Yaounde, Cameroon, in 1997, the study analyzed risk exposure and HIV prevalence among 426 men and 510 women aged 15-24," researchers in Canada report.

"Although risky behaviors seem to be more prevalent among young men," wrote N. Lydie and colleagues, "their HIV prevalence remains under 1%. In contrast, HIV prevalence is high among young women (7.5%), even those who report having had few sexual partners."

"Mixing patterns among sexual partners, and especially the age difference between men and women," the authors said, "do not seem to be sufficient to explain the large male-female discrepancy in HIV prevalence that is evident in these data. The results are therefore probably due to a greater susceptibility to infection of young women than men."

Lydie concluded, "This study highlights the necessity of reinforcing prevention campaigns among youth and fighting the obstacles that continue to impede the use of condoms in this population."

Lydie and colleagues published their study in the Journal of Biosocial Science (Adolescent sexuality and the HIV epidemic in Yaounde, Cameroon. J Biosoc Sci. 2004 Sep;36(5):597-616.

For additional information, contact N. Lydie, University Montreal, Department Demog, Montreal, PQ H3C 3J7, Canada.

Publisher contact information for the Journal of Biosocial Science is: Cambridge University Press, 40 West 20TH St., New York, NY 10011-4211, USA.

The information in this article comes under the major subject areas of HIV/AIDS, Adolescent, Risk Factor, and Exposure.

This article was prepared by AIDS Weekly editors from staff and other reports

Reference

Lydie N, Robinson NJ, Ferry B, et al., "Adolescent sexuality and the HIV epidemic in Yaounde, Cameroon", J Biosoc Sci. 2004 Sep;36(5):597-616.

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