Factors Influencing Risky Sexual Behaviour among the Youth in Kenya

Information on risky sexual behaviour has significant policy implications in designing and implementing family planning and HIV/AIDS prevention programs. The main objective of this study was to explore the factors that determine risky sexual behaviour and the possible risk to HIV infection among the youth in Kenya. The study population consisted of 2132 sexually-active women ages (15-24) covered in the KDHS conducted in 2003.The study variables were highest level of education, work status, age, marital status, place of residence, media exposure, knowledge of HIV/AIDS prevention methods, perception of HIV risk of infection, religion, HIV/AIDS prevalence regimes and risky sexual behaviour as the response variable. In addition, 32 women were interviewed to provide further insights concerning risky sexual behaviour. The technique for quantitative data analysis employed was Logistic Regression model. Additionally, field data gathered from focus group discussions were categorised thematically. From cross tabulation results, it was established that there were differentials in reporting of risky sexual behaviour across all characteristics of women. Factors found to be significant included; age, highest education levels, place of residence, religion, exposure to mass media, knowledge of HIV/AIDS prevention methods, marital status and HIV/AIDS prevalence regimes. Logistic regression model showed that age, marital status, education level, media exposure, knowledge of HIV/AIDS prevention methods and HIV/AIDS prevalence n^gimes were important determinants of risky sexual behaviour among the female youth. The major conclusion derived from the study findings was that although levels of knowledge of HIV/AIDS prevention methods were very high among the young women, various socio-cultural, economic, demographic and psychosocial factors influenced the youth’s risky sexual behaviour. These factors led the young women to engage in risky sexual behaviour that obviously might lead to HIV infection.