Background: Comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) seeks to reduce risky sexual behaviour and subsequent incidence of unintended pregnancy and HIV among schoolgoing adolescents. This study estimates the association between exposure to CSE and key biomedical and behavioural indicators among adolescent girls in South Africa.
Setting: Four DREAMS implementation districts in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal provinces in South Africa.
Methods: Data from a household-based representative sample of adolescent girls (between the ages 12-18 years) (n = 9673) was collected. Independent variables included school attendance and exposure to CSE, with outcome variables measuring prevalence of HIV, pregnancy, and sexual risky behaviour, including condom use, incidence of age-disparate relationships, and transactional sex.
Results: Adolescent girls in school and who had attended CSE classes in the previous 12 months were associated with reduced adjusted odds of being HIV-positive [full sample: adjusted odds ratios (AOR): 0.76, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.61 to 0.95, P < 0.05; sexually active sample: AOR: 0.62, 95% CI: 0.40 to 0.96, P < 0.05]. Those in school who attended CSE in the previous 12 months were also more likely to get tested for HIV (AOR: 1.48, 95% CI: 1.32 to 1.65, P < 0.001).
Conclusions: The results indicate that school attendance and exposure to CSE is associated with a reduction in risky sexual behaviour. Exposure to CSE is also associated with increased access to HIV testing for adolescent girls both in and out of school. Keeping adolescent girls in school produces the greatest positive sexual behavioural effect; this, coupled with the delivery of quality CSE, is a key strategy for reducing HIV risk.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/QAI.0000000000002951 | DOI Listing |
JAMA Netw Open
January 2025
Department of Pediatric Intensive Care Medicine, Life Support Center, Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey.
Importance: This study addresses the characteristics, kidney replacement therapy (KRT) modalities, and outcomes in children diagnosed with crush syndrome following an earthquake in Turkey.
Objective: To analyze the associations of different KRT modalities with long-term dialysis dependency and length of stay (LOS) in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU).
Design, Setting, And Participants: This multicenter, prospective, and retrospective cohort study was conducted across 20 PICUs in Turkey.
JAMA Pediatr
January 2025
University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Importance: Condoms are effective at preventing sexually transmitted infections and pregnancy; however, only 52% of sexually active US adolescents used a condom at last intercourse.
Objective: To examine (1) the association between 36 psychosocial variables and adolescent condom use to determine the strongest correlates of condom use behavior across the literature, (2) heterogeneity of these effects, and (3) the moderating roles of age, gender/sex, race/ethnicity, sexual orientation, and year of study.
Data Sources: A systematic search was conducted of studies published between January 2000 and February 2024 using Medline, CINAHL, PsycINFO, and Communication Source databases, plus relevant review articles and unpublished data.
Pharmacol Rep
January 2025
Research Laboratory CoreLab of the Medical University of Lodz, Łódź, Poland.
Background: The current study investigated the effects of high-fat diet on acute response to 3,4-methylenedioxypyrovalerone (MDPV) in mice. MDPV is a beta-cathinone derivative endowed with psychostimulant activity. Similarly to recreational substances, consumption of palatable food stimulates the mesolimbic dopaminergic system, resulting in neuroadaptive changes.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSpine Deform
January 2025
Spine Unit, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Institute of Orthopedics, Lerdsin Hospital, College of Medicine, Rangsit University, 190 Silom Road, Bangkok, 10500, Thailand.
Study Design: A prospective comparative study.
Objectives: To compare the curve flexibility in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) using supine traction push-prone and push-prone traction radiographs and to determine which method is more effective in predicting the postsurgical correction.
Background: Preserving spinal motion is one of the critical objectives in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) surgery.
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