The Botsha Bophelo Adolescent Health Study: A profile of adolescents in Soweto, South Africa
Background: Youth between the ages of 15 years to 24 years account for almost half of new HIV infections in South Africa. Objectives: To describe the study details of the Botsha Bophelo Adolescent Health Study (BBAHS) which was an investigation of HIV risk among adolescents living in Soweto, South...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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AOSIS
2017-09-01
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| Series: | Southern African Journal of HIV Medicine |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://sajhivmed.org.za/index.php/hivmed/article/view/731 |
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| author | Cari L. Miller Busisiwe Nkala Kalysha Closson Jason Chia Zishan Cui Alexis Palmer Robert Hogg Angela Kaida Glenda Gray Janan Dietrich |
| author_facet | Cari L. Miller Busisiwe Nkala Kalysha Closson Jason Chia Zishan Cui Alexis Palmer Robert Hogg Angela Kaida Glenda Gray Janan Dietrich |
| author_sort | Cari L. Miller |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background: Youth between the ages of 15 years to 24 years account for almost half of new HIV infections in South Africa.
Objectives: To describe the study details of the Botsha Bophelo Adolescent Health Study (BBAHS) which was an investigation of HIV risk among adolescents living in Soweto, South Africa.
Methods: Eligibility criteria for the BBAHS included being 14 years – 19 years old and living in one of the 41 identified formal and informal areas in the township of Soweto. A cross-sectional survey was developed between investigators and an adolescent community advisory board consisting of previously validated scales and original questions including demographics, sexual and reproductive health, health service utilisation and psychosocial behaviours.
Results: Between 2010 and 2012, interviewers administered surveys among 830 adolescents (57% females), whose median age was 17 years (Q1, Q3: 16, 18), and found that 43% of participants identified their ethnicity as Zulu, 52% reported high food insecurity, 37% reported at least one parent had died, 15% reported living in a shack and 83% identified as heterosexual. Over half of the participants (55%) reported ever having sex (49% of females and 64% of males), 11% of whom initiated sex at < 15 years of age (3% females and 21% males). Almost half (47%) reported ever testing for HIV, 3% (n = 12) of whom self-reported being HIV-positive and 33% (n = 4) were on antiretroviral therapy.
Conclusion: Our study highlights important individual, relational and structural level determinants of HIV risk for adolescent men and women growing up within HIV hyperendemic settings. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-13T04:26:37Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-35cb3ab4b488400683f82182aa42e7f5 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1608-9693 2078-6751 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-13T04:26:37Z |
| publishDate | 2017-09-01 |
| publisher | AOSIS |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Southern African Journal of HIV Medicine |
| spelling | doaj.art-35cb3ab4b488400683f82182aa42e7f52022-12-22T03:02:28ZengAOSISSouthern African Journal of HIV Medicine1608-96932078-67512017-09-01181e1e1010.4102/sajhivmed.v18i1.731564The Botsha Bophelo Adolescent Health Study: A profile of adolescents in Soweto, South AfricaCari L. Miller0Busisiwe Nkala1Kalysha Closson2Jason Chia3Zishan Cui4Alexis Palmer5Robert Hogg6Angela Kaida7Glenda Gray8Janan Dietrich9Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser UniversityPerinatal HIV Research Unit, Soweto, South Africa; Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, South AfricaFaculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Canada; The British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, Vancouver, CanadaThe British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, VancouverThe British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, VancouverFaculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Canada; The British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, Vancouver, CanadaFaculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Canada; The British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, Vancouver, CanadaFaculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser UniversityPerinatal HIV Research Unit, Soweto, South Africa; South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town, South AfricaPerinatal HIV Research Unit, Soweto, South Africa; Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, South AfricaBackground: Youth between the ages of 15 years to 24 years account for almost half of new HIV infections in South Africa. Objectives: To describe the study details of the Botsha Bophelo Adolescent Health Study (BBAHS) which was an investigation of HIV risk among adolescents living in Soweto, South Africa. Methods: Eligibility criteria for the BBAHS included being 14 years – 19 years old and living in one of the 41 identified formal and informal areas in the township of Soweto. A cross-sectional survey was developed between investigators and an adolescent community advisory board consisting of previously validated scales and original questions including demographics, sexual and reproductive health, health service utilisation and psychosocial behaviours. Results: Between 2010 and 2012, interviewers administered surveys among 830 adolescents (57% females), whose median age was 17 years (Q1, Q3: 16, 18), and found that 43% of participants identified their ethnicity as Zulu, 52% reported high food insecurity, 37% reported at least one parent had died, 15% reported living in a shack and 83% identified as heterosexual. Over half of the participants (55%) reported ever having sex (49% of females and 64% of males), 11% of whom initiated sex at < 15 years of age (3% females and 21% males). Almost half (47%) reported ever testing for HIV, 3% (n = 12) of whom self-reported being HIV-positive and 33% (n = 4) were on antiretroviral therapy. Conclusion: Our study highlights important individual, relational and structural level determinants of HIV risk for adolescent men and women growing up within HIV hyperendemic settings.https://sajhivmed.org.za/index.php/hivmed/article/view/731Adolescentsresearch methodsrecruitmentHIVsexual and reproductive healthSouth AfricaYouth |
| spellingShingle | Cari L. Miller Busisiwe Nkala Kalysha Closson Jason Chia Zishan Cui Alexis Palmer Robert Hogg Angela Kaida Glenda Gray Janan Dietrich The Botsha Bophelo Adolescent Health Study: A profile of adolescents in Soweto, South Africa Southern African Journal of HIV Medicine Adolescents research methods recruitment HIV sexual and reproductive health South Africa Youth |
| title | The Botsha Bophelo Adolescent Health Study: A profile of adolescents in Soweto, South Africa |
| title_full | The Botsha Bophelo Adolescent Health Study: A profile of adolescents in Soweto, South Africa |
| title_fullStr | The Botsha Bophelo Adolescent Health Study: A profile of adolescents in Soweto, South Africa |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Botsha Bophelo Adolescent Health Study: A profile of adolescents in Soweto, South Africa |
| title_short | The Botsha Bophelo Adolescent Health Study: A profile of adolescents in Soweto, South Africa |
| title_sort | botsha bophelo adolescent health study a profile of adolescents in soweto south africa |
| topic | Adolescents research methods recruitment HIV sexual and reproductive health South Africa Youth |
| url | https://sajhivmed.org.za/index.php/hivmed/article/view/731 |
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