Sexual vulnerability and HIV seroprevalence among the deaf and hearing impaired in Cameroon

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>This quantitative cross-sectional study examines sexual behaviour of a target group of hearing-impaired persons in Yaounde, the capital city of the Republic of Cameroon. It measures their HIV prevalence to enable assessment of their sexual vulnerability and to help reduce the gap in existing HIV serology data among people with disabilities in general and the deaf in particular.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The snowball sampling procedure was adopted as an adequate approach to meet this hard-to-reach group. A total of 118 deaf participants were interviewed for the behavioural component, using sign language as a means of data collection, while 101 participants underwent HIV serology testing. Descriptive analyses were done for behavioural data with Epi info software, while sera were tested by health personnel, using rapid and confirmation test reagents.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>From the results, it was clear that the hearing impaired were highly involved in risky sexual practices, as observed through major sexual indicators, such as: age at first sexual intercourse; condom use; and knowledge of sexually transmitted infections and AIDS. Furthermore, it was noted that the HIV prevalence rate of the hearing impaired in the capital of Cameroon was 4%, close to the prevalence in the city's general population (4.7%).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Such results suggest that there is a need for in-depth behavioural research and serological studies in this domain to better understand the determinants of risky sexual behaviour among the hearing impaired, and to propose operational prevention approaches for this group.</p

Planning Familial chez les Adolescentes Mères d'Enfants dans un Centre Urbain du Cameroun

Family planning among teenage mothers in a Cameroonian centre. This study was carried out in Yaounde (Cameroon) in 1995 to determine the knowledge, attitude and behaviour of teenage mothers towards family planning. The study was based on a questionnaire administered at household level drawn from previously determined clusters. It was accomplished by recruiting 462 teenage mothers with ages ranging from 14 to 19 years and who had 1 to 3 children. On the whole, 93,9% had heard of family planning, 72,5% had heard of family planning centres, but only 43% had been to one of these centres at least once. With regards to contraceptive prevalence, 62.1% affirmed the use of a contraceptive method at the time of the study with periodic abstinence being the most widely used (35.9%). Besides the common methods, some teenage mothers made use of herbal concoctions and vaginal douching, sometimes with permanganate or the taking of tablets. Nineteen per cent of respondents had had between one and four episodes of induced abortion. According to these teenagers, the ideal average age the first delivery is 19,7 ± 2,5 years, whereas that of nubility is 22,8 ± 3,3 years, a difference of 3 years. This suggests that on the whole, teenage mothers believe that first delivery must precede marriage. (Afr J Reprod Health 2001; 5[2]: 105-115)RÉSUMÉ Une enquête a été réalisée à Yaoundé (Cameroun) au courant de l'année 1995 pour déterminer les connaissances, les attitudes et les pratiques des adolescentes mères d'enfants face au planning familial. L'enquête a été effectuée sur la base d'un questionnaire standardisé; ayant servi aux entretiens dans les ménages des quartiers de la ville, préalablement constitués en grappes. Elle a abouti au recrutement de 462 filles-mères dont les âges variaient entre 14 et 19 ans et qui avaient entre 1 et 3 enfants. 93,9% d'entre elles avaient déjà entendu parler du planning familial, 72,5% avaient déjà entendu parler des centres de planning familial, mais seulement 43% s'étaient déjà rendues une fois au moins dans un de ces centres. S'agissant de la prévalence contraceptive au moment de l'enquête, 62,1% des enquêtées affirmaient qu'elles utilisent une méthode contraceptive; la méthode la plus utilisée étant l'abstinence périodique (35,9%). En plus des méthodes contraceptives classiques, certaines filles-mères faisaient usage de décoction d'herbes ou de racines, de douche vaginale avec quelquefois du permanganate. 19% des enquêtées avaient déjà effectué entre une et quatre épisodes d'interruption volontaire de grossesse. L'âge idéal à la première maternité tel que déclaré par les enquêtées était en moyenne de 19,7 ±2,5 ans; l'âge idéal à la nubilité étant de 22,8±3,3 ans, soit un écart de 3 ans. Ceci traduit le fait que dans le vécu réel comme dans les représentations, les enquêtées sont d'avis que la première naissance doit avoir lieu avant l'entrée dans la vie matrimoniale. (Rev Afr Santé Reprod 2001; 5[2]: 105-115) MOTS CLES: Filles-mères, adolescentes, planning familial, grossesses non désirées, interruption volontaire de grossesse, Camerou

Prevalence of HIV infection among people with disabilities: a population-based observational study in Yaoundé, Cameroon (HandiVIH).

International audienceBACKGROUND: In resource-limited settings, people with disabilities have been left behind in the response to HIV. In the HandiVIH study, we estimate and compare HIV prevalence and associated risk factors between people with and without disabilities. METHODS: In this cross-sectional, population-based, observational study, we used two-phase random sampling to recruit adults with disabilities and a control group matched for age, sex, and residential location from households of the general population. We used the Washington Group Short Set of Questions on Disability to identify people with disabilities. We administered an HIV test and a life-course history interview to participants. The primary outcome was the prevalence of HIV among participants with and without disabilities. FINDINGS: Between Oct 2, 2014, and Nov 30, 2015, we recruited 807 people with disabilities and 807 participants without disabilities from Yaounde, Cameroon. 28 of 716 people in the control population had a positive HIV test result (crude prevalence 3.9%, 95% CI 2.9-5.3) compared with 50 of 739 people with disabilities (6.8%, 5.0-8.6; conditional odds ratio [OR] 1.7; p=0.04). Women with disabilities were more often involved in paid sexual relationships than were women without disabilities (2.5% vs 0.5%, p=0.05). People with disabilities were also at increased risk of sexual violence than were women without disabilities (11.0% vs 7.5%, OR 1.5; p=0.01). Sexual violence and sex work were strongly associated with increased risk of HIV infection among participants with disabilities but not among controls (OR 3.0, 95% CI 1.6-5.6 for sexual violence and 12.3, 4.4-34.6 for sex work). Analyses were done in men and women. INTERPRETATION: The higher prevalence of HIV infection in people with disabilities than people without disabilities reflects a higher exposure to HIV infection as well as the presence of disability-associated HIV infection. The susceptibility of people with disabilities to HIV infection seems to be shaped by social and environmental factors. Research is needed to inform firm recommendations on how to protect this vulnerable population