Abstract
We were interested in examining the trajectory of sexual behaviors and practices that have yet to be examined among a sample of adolescents affected by war. This study explored sexual behaviors among a sample of adolescent males whose childhoods were affected by war (N = 169) in postconflict Sierra Leone. Results indicated that age of sexual debut was significantly associated with condom use. Specifically, those who had a sexual debut as midadolescents (15-17 years old) were less likely to have used a condom, compared to those who had a sexual debut as adults (18 or older). Furthermore, age was also significantly associated with having multiple partners in the last year. Older respondents indicated higher odds of having multiple partners. Findings suggest that this population may benefit from health education campaigns that include early intervention that focus on healthy sexual behaviors.
Original language | English (US) |
---|---|
Pages (from-to) | 340-345 |
Number of pages | 6 |
Journal | Peace and Conflict |
Volume | 26 |
Issue number | 3 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Aug 2020 |
Keywords
- Child soldiers
- Males
- Sexual behavior
- Sierra Leone
- War-affected youth
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Political Science and International Relations