| Although some adolescents have considerable and accurate knowledge about HIV transmission, others have no information or hold a variety of inaccurate beliefs that cause them to underestimate risk of transmission.[11],[15],[23–25],[28–30],[34], [36,37] |
38% |
| Though some adolescents have accurate knowledge about condoms and are willing to use them, others hold a variety of beliefs and attitudes that are at odds with condom use.[11–14],[16–17],[24],[28],[29],[33],[34] |
38% |
| Adolescents experience anxiety about premarital pregnancy, which can have dire consequences for girls as they often are shamed, blamed, and rejected by their families; forced into early marriage; and/or required to leave school/quit their education.[14],[22],[25],[27],[28],[32],[34–37],[39] |
38% |
| Adolescents, especially girls, experience a wide variety of types of sexual coercion and violence perpetrated by peers, intimate partners, and familiar adults. [10],[13–15],[17],[19],[27–28],[31],[32],[36],[38] |
38% |
| Some girls engage in transactional sex freely for love, to meet basic needs, or to gain access to luxury items, whereas others are pressured by family members (for their financial gain), and still others are coerced by older men.[10],[14],[17],[19],[24–25],[32],[34–35],[37–38] |
38% |
| Adolescents learn about HIV from a variety of sources and would like to know more about HIV infection and other STIs, including the symptoms of infection, how HIV/STIs are transmitted, how to safely interact with those who are infected, and how to reduce their own risk of infection.[11],[13],[15–17],[28–30],[34],[36] |
34% |
| Communication between adolescents and parents about issues of sex, pregnancy, and HIV/STIs is facilitated if parents are receptive and reassuring, but can be impeded if parents are unaware of the adolescent’s sexual learning needs, drink too much alcohol, or experience depleting life burdens.[11],[13],[18],[21–23],[30],[36] |
28% |
| Girls may be forced into early marriages for the family’s financial benefit, but then face further financial hardship and have limited decision-making power, especially in regard to sex and reproduction.[14],[17],[20],[26],[35],[37],[38] |
24% |
| Girls receive mixed messages about expectations for their sexual behavior–they are expected to avoid romantic relationships, or to be hesitant of sex, and also agreeable to satisfying males’ sexual desires, whereas boys receive a consistent message that they are expected to be overbearing, persistent, and even forceful in their pursuit of sex.[17],[22],[24],[27],[31–32],[34],[38] |
24% |
| Men are expected to provide material or financial support for women so transactional sex between boys and girls can be either part of a normal, healthy love relationships or can be coercive.[14],[15],[24–25],[31],[38] |
21% |
| Adolescents are curious and uncertain about puberty, adolescence, and sexuality but are not well informed and maintain inaccurate beliefs about the relationships among these factors.[13],[24],[28],[34–36] |
21% |
| Although adolescents desire communication about or information on topics related to sexual learning, they often experience barriers that include lack of “space” in which to deal with or express their sexual feelings and difficulty communicating with adults because of fear of social and physical consequences.[11],[13],[18],[22],[28],[36] |
21% |
| Adolescents are reluctant to approach parents for advice about sexual relationships or menstruation, even when they would like parental advice.[11],[18],[21–23],[30] |
21% |
| Adolescent girls described a range of factors that influenced their sexual debut, and many felt unprepared for the social and emotional consequences of sexual debut.[14],[20],[27],[31],[34],[38] |
21% |
