HIV/AIDS, knowledge of sero-status, and sexual and reproductive experiences and intentions of adolescents in Uganda

Francis Obare, Population Council
Harriet Birungi, Population Council

This paper compares the sexual and reproductive experiences and intentions of adolescents aged 15-19 years who are perinatally infected with HIV and know their sero-status to those of adolescents who do not know their sero-status using data from Uganda. Analysis involves a simple comparison of means and proportions as well as estimation of random-effects logit and Cox proportional hazards models. The findings show that both groups of adolescents do not significantly differ in terms of sexual debut and whether they intend to have children in future. However, adolescents who are HIV positive and know their status are significantly more likely to use a modern method of contraception, use condoms, and to want to have children later in life. Nonetheless, the level of condom use among these adolescents is still limited (less than half of those sexually active) and inconsistent (less than half of those in relationships reported always using condoms).