Youth Alert Secondary School Survey

Excerpts from the document

This report presents findings from a sexual and reproductive health survey of 50 secondary schools throughout the 26 districts of Malawi. Data collection was carried out between October 2001 and February 2002. The survey provides baseline measures for key indicators against which the success of the Youth Alert programme will be measured during follow-up surveys. This summary presents results for selected indicators together with recommendations that were considered relevant to youth programmes including Youth Alert!

The general aim of the survey was to provide PSI/Malawi with baseline information for improving HIV/AIDS prevention activities among youth in Malawi. Specifically, the baseline survey is aimed at providing the Youth Alert! project with indicators of knowledge, attitudes and practices of in-school youth relating to sexual and reproductive health. These baseline indicators will be reevaluated during follow up surveys. The specific objectives of the 2001 survey are:

• Examine knowledge of in-school youth about sexual and reproductive health issues.
• Examine attitudes and beliefs of in-school youth about sexual and reproductive health issues.
• Examine patterns of three protective behaviours for HIV infection, abstinence, partner reduction and condom use.

A two-stage sample design was used, where the secondary schools were selected first, and then students within the schools were selected for interview.

Key findings include:

HIV/AIDS knowledge

• 90% of females and males believe that there is no cure for HIV/AIDS.
• 58% of females and 72% of males reported knowing the difference between HIV
  and AIDS.
• 93% of females and 95% of males reported sexual intercourse as being the most
  common way of getting infected with the HIV virus.
• 95% of females and 97% of males reported knowing something that a person can
  do to avoid getting HIV/AIDS. Selecting multiple answers from a list of 11
  options (some correct and some incorrect) on ways of avoiding contracting
  HIV/AIDS, the three highest scores were “using condom during sex” (90% of
  females and 92% of males); “avoiding many sexual partners” (82% of females and
  86% males) and “abstaining from sex” (82% of females and 85% of males).

Personal risk perception

• 77% of females and 80% of males know someone who has HIV or who has died
  of AIDS.
• When asked whether they could tell just by looking at someone if they were
  infected with HIV, 62% of females and 56% of males reported that they could.
• 50% of females and 61% of males answered “yes” to the question “Do you worry
  that you might get, or have got HIV”. Of those who reported being worried, 69% of females and males reported being “very worried” (highest score) on a three point scale including “fairly worried” and “a little worried”

Sexual Experience

• 45% of females and 71% of males reported having ever had sexual intercourse.
  
  The mean age of the first sex was 15.3 years for females and 14.2 years for males.
  
  The median age at first sex was 16 years for females and 15 years for males.
• Of those reporting having ever had sex only 20% of females and 20% of males reported having had sex in the last month. 39% of females and 39% of males who reported having ever had sex, reported not been able to remember the last time they had sex.

Relationships and sexual practices

Respondents were asked whether or not they had a “steady partner”. 48% of females and 49% of males reported that they did. In an open question, respondents were asked to give one reason why the partner was considered steady. 34% of pupils responded “she/he is faithful or trustworthy”, this was followed by 29% who reported that “there is love and co-operation” and 12% who reported “never heard bad stories about him/her”. For those respondents reporting having a
steady partner, the median time they had been seeing their steady partner was 12 months for females and 9 months for males.