The aim of this study was to examine sexual behaviour of adolescents with
emphasis on examining factors that are likely to affect consistent condom use at a time
when the country is ailing from an HIV/AIDS epidemic. This study was aimed at
adolescents as they are at a transitional stage from childhood to adulthood which is
associated with sexual experimentation and high risk exposures to STD/HIV infections
due to the risky behaviours they indulge into.
The study was derived from the secondary data from quantitative research
of Botswana AIDS Impact Survey (BAIS III) 2008. Among 1,334 sampled
adolescents of 15-24 years old, the results illustrated that most of them consistently
used condoms with their partner/partners during the last 12 months of the survey.
However, consistent condom use was more prevalent in male adolescents than female
adolescents. The results further revealed that when age of adolescents increased,
consistent condom use declined and that currently married/ever married adolescents
were less likely to consistently use condoms. Furthermore, sexual abuse and condom
access affected consistent condom use by adolescents and female adolescents were
more affected than male adolescents.
Based on these findings, it can be seen that there is need for life skills
training provisions, information program development and participatory learning
activities to empower the targeted groups on sexual and reproductive health rights and
safe sex. There is also need to reinforce and promote gender based youth friendly
services and advocate for strengthening of the legal fraternity in terms of handling
domestic violence and abuse cases.