Abstract
In Malawi, early sexual debut contributes to 136/1000 births among adolescent girls, a school dropout rate of 28%, and one-third of new HIV infections and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs) among adolescent girls. However, there is a dearth of research on correlates and predictors of the onset of sexual behaviors among young adolescent girls in the rural southern region of Malawi. This study used the Malawi Schooling and Adolescent Study (MSAS) data to investigate correlates and predictors of the development of sexual behaviors of young adolescent girls in the rural southern region of Malawi. The study used a correlational study design and McLeroy’s socio-ecological model as a conceptual framework. Data for 416 young adolescent girls in grades 4 to 8 were analyzed using IBM Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 26.
Results revealed that of the 88.3% of the girls who initiated sex, 15.6 % had multiple sexual partners, and 7.7% used protection (condoms and hormonal contraceptives) during their first sex. The youngest age the girls started having sex was six years. The intrapersonal factors that significantly correlated and predicted sexual behavior included expectation to go to secondary school, educational level, religion, and reproductive health knowledge. The interpersonal factors that predicted sexual behavior were a history of having a boyfriend and domestic violence. The institutional factors that predicted sexual behavior were lack of checking on students in the school by the teachers and physical harassment, intimidation, and violence experienced on the way to school and in school perpetrated by schoolmates and teachers.
Overall, the interpersonal factors, particularly having boyfriends and the institutional factors, were the strongest predictors of the young adolescent girls’ risky sexual behaviors. Consequently, developing strategies for preventing risky sexual behaviors among young adolescent girls requires attention to the socio-ecological model factors, particularly at the level of interpersonal and institutional factors.