Uptake of Multifaceted Interventions and Risky Sexual Behaviors among Adolescent Girls and Young Women: Evidence from the DREAMS Partnership in Uganda
Abstract:
Globally, one million cases of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) are reported daily, with approximately 50% arising from risky sexual behaviors among adolescents. This study determined the prevalence of these behaviors, while exploring and synthesizing the barriers and facilitators to multifaceted interventions among adolescent girls and young women (AGYW). Utilizing a descriptive cross-sectional study design, the research integrated both qualitative and quantitative approaches for data collection and analysis. Quantitative data were gathered via structured questionnaires from 385 randomly selected participants and analyzed using STATA 18 software. Qualitative insights were collected through focus group discussions and key informant interviews with purposively selected respondents, then transcribed and analyzed using NVIVO 15 software. Findings revealed that condomless sex was the most prevalent risky sexual behavior (91.7%), while substance abuse was the least common (6.0%). Other identified factors included early sexual debut (50.0%), multiple sexual partners (46.2%), transactional sex (21.0%), casual partnerships (11.2%), and age disparities within five years (91.4%) or ten years apart (8.6%). Key barriers to service uptake included geographical distance, childcare responsibilities, group peer dynamics, economic pressures, gender norms, structural discordance, caregivers’ restrictions and absence of refreshment. Conversely, free DREAMS services, positive trainers’ attitude, economic empowerment, safe spaces, health and social services access, ambitions and stakeholder engagement served as major facilitators. Effectively reducing these behaviors requires a comprehensive understanding of these opposing factors to optimize future interventions.References:
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