Recent studies show Young Women at Higher Risk of HIV

Recent studies have shown that during first sexual encounter, factors first sexual encounter, such as a woman’s age, the man’s age, use of condoms and whether the encounter is consensual can indicate future risk of HIV infection and gender-based violence, new research has shown.
Also, women who had their first sexual encounter before the age of 15 faced twice the risk of getting infected with HIV, and this was especially prevalent for those who were involved in sex work and those who were frequent visitors to places associated with sex work.

This research was carried out by a team of researchers who are from the St Michael’s Hospital, University of Toronto, and University of Manitoba in Canada, and Kenya’s National Aids and STI Control Programme (NASCOP).

Dr. Sharmistha Mishra, the lead author said: “The research was carried out because of the need to understand the early risk and vulnerabilities for HIV because many prevention programmes for key populations reach young sex workers several years after they have already experienced high risk sexual encounters, yet there are vulnerabilities that appear in the first few years of becoming sexually active and entering sex work more formally,”

The key populations include Men who have sex with Men (MSM),  sex workers, and injection drug users (IFUs). These key populations tend to face higher risks of HIV infection because they are involved in high-risk behaviour. They also tend to have higher HIV prevalence than the general population. Interventions to keep HIV infections among these groups are critical in the fight against HIV.

During the study, a survey was carried out on sexually active young women and adolescent girls in Mombasa, Kenya. It was discovered that young women and girls, are more likely to experience higher risks of HIV and gender-based violence, when they have sexual experiences at a young age or when they frequent venues associated with sex work. 


They also found out that adolescent girls and young women who were coerced in their first sexual experience were four to five times more likely to face ongoing gender-based violence throughout their lifetime.

Moreover, one in four participants experienced gender-based violence after their first sexual experience. While among the girls and young women who involved in sex work, the prevalence of violence after the first sexual encounter was 38 per cent.

Co-author Dr. Marissa Becker said; "We've identified a need to provide HIV prevention and treatment plans for adolescent girls and young women at an earlier age,"

"We hope the findings of this research can assist HIV prevention programmes to adapt their strategies to reach vulnerable young women and teenage girls at a younger age and intervene on risks early on," she added.

"The research team is conducting further research to inform the implementation and evaluation of new programmes and interventions.

"They are also looking at how their findings, which were published in the Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes (JAIDS), might apply to other countries.