Risks and Vulnerabilities of Youth Towards STIs and HIV Infection; A Cross Sectional Study among Youth Attending ‘Youth Corps Centres’ in Western Province of Sri Lanka

Abstract

Introduction:Youth is the period where individuals transform from dependent childhood to independent adults. The incidence of Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI) and HIV among youth in Sri Lanka, is rising.Objective: To assess the risk behaviours and vulnerabilities towards Sexually Transmitted Infections and HIV among youth attending youth corps centres in the Western province of Sri Lanka. Method:A descriptive cross sectional study was carried out using a self-administered questionnaire among the trainees attached to youth corps centres (YCC) in Western province from October 2019 to February 2020.Results: Youth attached to YCC were educated and were from poor economic background. A fair proportion had a good level of knowledge on STIs and HIV. Knowledge was positively associated with age, educational level and the wealth quintile. There is a significant difference of knowledge across ethnic and religious categories. Only 15.5% reported being sexually active and the majority of them (79.2%) were having multiple partners. Only 41% agreed that they would use condoms in the future. Sense of invulnerability, peer pressure, embarrassment to buy were the main reasons for not using a condom. Major source of SRH information was the internet and the available SRH services are underutilized, mainly due to unawareness.Conclusions: Knowledge on STIs and HIV among these youth was satisfactory and a minority were sexually active. Risk behaviours were higher and access to available SRH services were poor.

Knowledge, and practices on sexual and reproductive health among youth trainees attached to youth training centers in Sri Lanka

“…The same study revealed that the trainee's STI knowledge was positively associated with age, education level, and wealth quintile. Similar to the present study this study also indicated a significant difference in knowledge across the ethnic and religious categories [22].…”

“…However, the study carried out among youth corps trainees in Western province indicated that only 34% of the youth have ever used a condom, while 32% didn't know where to go for a condom. The same study also reports that 51% of the youth did not want to use a condom in future sexual encounters [22].…”

“…In the present study, only 7.8% of trainees admitted that they ever engaged in sexual intercourse. However, a study that was carried out in youth Corps centers in the Western province in 2020 showed that 15.5% of youth engaged in sexual activity and the majority of them (79.2%) were having multiple partners [22]. However, the findings of the National youth health survey indicated that nearly one-third of the Sri Lankan youth engaged in some form of sexual activity during the preceding year.…”

Unmarried Sri Lankan youth: sexual behaviour and contraceptive use

“…Following the National youth health survey conducted in 2012-2013, a large-scale or national level information is lacking on sexual behaviour and contraceptive youth of Sri Lanka [ 11 ]. Among the few smaller studies conducted subsequently on sexual behaviour of youth, have highlighted the rise in high-risk sexual behaviour among the youth [ 14 , 15 ]. Further, authorities have observed a recent rise of HIV/AIDS incidence among youth in Sri Lanka [ 16 ].…”

International Journal of KIU

“…According to Akintade et al, (2011) in underdeveloped nations, the number of young women reporting unwanted pregnancy is high. As a developing country in South Asia, Sri Lanka also has a prevalence rate between 23-46% of unplanned pregnancies within the country (Ranatunga & Jayaratne, 2020) and the prevalence of STDs among Sri Lankan youth was found to be increasing (Batagalla & Manathunge, 2020). Poor knowledge, awareness and undesirable attitude towards contraception usage are some of the major factors associated with unintended pregnancies and transmission of sexually transmitted diseases (Semachew Kasa et al, 2018).…”