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The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
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The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
Stella O. Babalola, PhD, Center for Communication Programs, Johns Hopkins University, 111 Market Place - Ste 310, Baltimore, MD 21202, (410) 659-6300, sbabalol@jhuccp.org
In many parts of Africa, early sexual experimentation, multiple sexual partners and unprotected sex are common practices among the youth. The consequences of these unsafe sex practices include unwanted pregnancies, early (unplanned) marriages, induced abortion, and also increasing incidences of sexually transmitted diseases including HIV/AIDS. Using data from sample survey, the proposed paper will examine the role of religiosity in determining sexual behavior among youth in Côte d'Ivoire and northern Nigeria. The data to be reported in the presentation were collected in November 2001 in Côte d'Ivoire, and in December 2001 in northern Nigeria. In the context of this study, religiosity is measured by the frequency of participation in religious meetings, and the perceived importance of religious teachings in personal decisions. The analyses will include both Christians and Moslems, and focus on premarital sexual abstinence and use of condom. The presentation will provide pertinent information on the pathways of influence of religiosity on sexual behaviors. Specifically, we will look at how religiosity influences the psychosocial variables that are known to influence the timing of first sex and condom use. In addition, the presentation will highlight differences in the effects of religiosity by country, gender, urban residence and religious affiliation. In conclusion, the paper will discuss the policy and programmatic implications of the findings.
Learning Objectives:
Keywords: Adolescents, International, Sexual Risk Behavior
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.