Table 1.
Characteristics of secondary school female learners in Mbonge, Cameroon
| Characteristic | Frequency | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Age group | ||
| 11-15 | 16/210 | 7.6 |
| 16-24 | 194/210 | 92.4 |
| Marital status | ||
| Single | 194/208 | 93.3 |
| Married or cohabiting | 14/208 | 6.7 |
| Academic profile | ||
| Pass on merit | 150/207 | 72.5 |
| Promoted on trial or repeated | 57/207 | 27.5 |
| House of residence | ||
| 5 rooms or more | 107/203 | 52.7 |
| 4 rooms or less | 96/203 | 47.3 |
| Religious Affiliation | ||
| Christian | 195/199 | 98.0 |
| Others | 4/199 | 2.0 |
| Father's monthly income (in XAF) | ||
| 200 000 and above | 85/176 | 48.3 |
| Less than 200 000 | 91/176 | 51.7 |
| Mother's monthly income (in XAF) | ||
| 200 000 and above | 50/185 | 23.8 |
| Less than 200 000 | 135/185 | 76.2 |
| Perceived susceptibility to HIV/AIDS | ||
| HIV/AIDS is a serious threat in Cameroon | ||
| Agree | 154/198 | 77.7 |
| Disagree | 44/198 | 22.3 |
| A healthy looking person can be HIV positive | ||
| Agree | 180/205 | 87.8 |
| Disagree | 25/205 | 12.2 |
| Perceived severity of HIV/AIDS | ||
| HIV/AIDS is a disease like any other | ||
| Agree | 108/198 | 54.5 |
| Disagree | 90/198 | 45.5 |
| Some traditional healers can cure AIDS | ||
| Agree | 29/204 | 14.3 |
| Disagree | 175/204 | 85.7 |
| Some antibiotics can cure AIDS | ||
| Agree | 31/198 | 15.6 |
| Disagree | 167/198 | 84.4 |
| Anti-Retroviral Therapy (ART) can cure AIDS | ||
| Agree | 37/197 | 18.8 |
| Disagree | 160/197 | 81.2 |
| Perceived benefit of condom use | ||
| Correct and consistent condom use can prevent HIV/AIDS | ||
| Agree | 153/197 | 77.6 |
| Disagree | 44/197 | 22.4 |
| Perceived barriers to condom use | ||
| Should a condom slip off during sex it will land up in my stomach | ||
| Agree | 58/179 | 32.4 |
| Disagree | 121/179 | 67.6 |
| Latex condoms cause itching | ||
| Agree | 74/139 | 53.2 |
| Disagree | 65/139 | 46.8 |
| I am allergic to lubricants used in condoms | ||
| Agree | 50/138 | 36.2 |
| Disagree | 88/138 | 63.8 |
| I feel embarrassed to ask my partner to use condoms | ||
| Agree | 73/186 | 39.2 |
| Disagree | 113/186 | 60.8 |
| Perceived condom use self-efficacy | ||
| I have confidence that I could refuse sex with my partner if he refuses to use condoms. | ||
| Agree | 147/196 | 75.0 |
| Disagree | 49/196 | 25.0 |
| I feel confident that I can convince my partner(s) to use condoms during sexual intercourse. | ||
| Agree | 130/192 | 67.7 |
| Disagree | 62/192 | 32.3 |
| Perception of risk of contracting HIV/AIDS | ||
| How at risk of contracting HIV/AIDS are you? | ||
| Not at risk | 89/203 | 43.8 |
| Small risk | 18/203 | 8.9 |
| Moderate risk | 16/203 | 7.9 |
| High risk | 80/203 | 39.4 |
| Sexual experience | ||
| Have you ever had sexual intercourse with a male partner? | ||
| Yes | 108/200 | 54.0 |
| No | 92/200 | 46.0 |
| Number of sexual partners in the past one year | ||
| How many sexual partners have you had in the past one year? | ||
| None | 12/97 | 12.4 |
| One | 54/97 | 55.6 |
| More than one | 31/97 | 32.0 |
| Number of concurrent sexual partners | ||
| How many sexual partners do you have at present? | ||
| None | 20/97 | 20.6 |
| One | 68/97 | 70.1 |
| More than one | 9/97 | 9.3 |
| Condom use during first sexual encounter | ||
| Did you use a condom the first time you had sexual intercourse with a male partner? | ||
| Yes | 41/103 | 39.8 |
| No | 62/103 | 60.2 |
| Condom use during last sexual encounter | ||
| Did you use a condom the last time you had sexual intercourse with a male partner? | ||
| Yes | 52/105 | 49.5 |
| No | 53/105 | 50.5 |
| Regularity of condom use | ||
| How often do you use a condom with a sexual partner during sex? | ||
| Always | 32/108 | 29.6 |
| Most of the time | 33/108 | 30.6 |
| Seldom | 14/108 | 13.0 |
| Never | 29/108 | 26.8 |
| Denominators may vary due to missing values |