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Page 51
http://parasitology.cmesociety.com|
http://std.cmesociety.comInternational Journal of HIV and AIDS research
International Conference on
&
Sexually Transmitted Diseases, AIDS and Parasitic Infections
Parasitology, Infectious Diseases, STDs and STIs
September 21-22, 2017 San Antonio, TX, USA
Risky sexual behavior among women: Does economic empowerment matter? case of
Gabon, Mozambique, Sierra-Leone and Zambia
Clifford O Odimegwu, Nicole De Wet
and
Pamela C Banda
Ministry of General Education, Zambia
T
he link between economic empowerment and high risky sexual behavior has been debated by different
scholars in various settings. However, no consistently clear connection between poverty and lack of
education has been found regarding engagement in risky sexual behavior. Also, not much research has been done
to examine the strength of these relationships for adolescents and women. The objectives of this study were to
assess the relationship between female economic empowerment and risky sexual behavior in Africa. Using the
latest Demographic and Health Surveys Data (DHS 2011–2014) from Gabon, Mozambique, Sierra Leone and
Zambia, univariate, bivariate and multivariate analysis was done on women aged 15 to 49 to examine the patterns
of and differences in the association between women’s economic empowerment and risky sexual behavior. The
findings both at community and individual level indicate that empowered women (higher education and wealth
household) and adolescents aged 15 to 19 are highly significantly associated with engagement in high risky
behavior. The result of this study stresses the need to look further than individual factors in the quest to resolve
risky sexual behavior in Africa. The interrelations between female economic empowerment and engagement in
risky sexual behavior are more complicated and less straightforward than usually presumed.
pcbnamwinga@yahoo.com