HIV/STD risk behaviors among in-school adolescents in post-conflict Liberia.

We conducted a randomized trial to address the health needs of in-school adolescents in Liberia, where we analyzed data from a behavioral survey administered to 820 students from eight urban schools. Our findings suggest that adolescents are at significant risk for HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs): 36% of respondents were sexually experienced, 34% of those had first sex at ages 14 or younger, 66% of first sexual encounters were unprotected, and 16% were described as "forced." Also, females were more likely to have older boyfriends (Pearson's chi square = 19.