Gender Differentials in Consistent Condom Use among Young People in Zambia

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to determine socio-economic and demographic factors that influence gender differentials in consistent use of condoms among young people in Zambia. Data for this paper were collected from a household questionnaire that was administered to sexually active youth (N=3554) between the ages of 15-24 during the 2013 Demographic Health survey. Cross tabulation and chi-square results revealed a relationship between age, gender, place of location, socio-economic background, employment status, level of education media exposure, alcohol consumption and perceived risk of contracting HIV with the consistent use of condoms. For females, regression analyses revealed that wealth status, work status, educational level and drinking alcohol were positively associated with reporting consistent use of condoms. For males, age, work status, educational level, perceived risk of contracting HIV and drinking alcohol are associated with increased likelihood of reporting consistent condom use within the last 6 months.

Key Words: Gender Differentials, Condom use, Youth, Zambia