Healthy sexual practices among adolescents living in Africa: A systematic review

Abstract

Background: Over the past decade, intervention programs were put in place for several reasons. The reasons include but not limited to  the promotion of healthy sexual practices among youth living in Africa; prevention of the infections; and reduction of the spread as well as the burden of Sexually Transmitted Infections, Human Immunodeficiency Virus, and unplanned pregnancy.

Purpose: The purpose of this consolidative systematic review was to investigate the intervention programme to promote healthy sexual practices among adolescents living in Africa.

Methods: The inclusive literature search was conducted on five multiple databases: PUBMED (53), EBSCOhost (1102), Google Scholar  (4421), Subnet (439), and Science Direct (700). The search was restricted to articles written in English and published between 2010 and  July 2022 with the key set of words such as contraceptive, sexual education, sexual reproductive health, and sexual risk behaviour as a  criterion for consideration and selection.

Results: A total of 27 studies reported significant results in the behavioural and intervention programmes outcome assessed. The seven  main themes developed from the selected articles included in this study regarding healthy sexual practice. These themes include  accessibility and affordability of contraceptives, gender-power relations, inconsistent condom use, physical and sexual abuse, substance  abuse, peer groups, and school environment to mention but a few.

Conclusion: Research into the mechanisms and underpinnings of  future healthy sexual practices is urgently needed to lessen Sexual Transmitted Infections, Human Immunodeficiency Virus, and  unplanned pregnancies