Determinants of Information about Sexual Health and High-Risk Sexual Behaviour amongst Migrant Youths in Johannesburg, South Africa

Abstract

Sexual health is essential to the complete well-being of every individual, and provision of all-inclusive and superior-quality information about living a healthful sexual life is necessary for everyone in a community, especially for youths. Using data collected in 2019 from 467 male and female immigrant youths between 18 and 34 years of age who resided in a suburb of the inner city of Johannesburg, this secondary analytical study examined the determining factors of sources of information about sexual health, using condoms inconsistently, and engaging in multiple sexual relationships. Binary logistic regression and negative binomial regression models were employed to understand the relationships between explanatory variables and outcome variables. The determinants of the sources of information about sexual health were gender, educational attainment level, wealth index, and age at first sexual intercourse. Gender, age group, marital status, and migration status were the determining factors for inconsistency of condom use. Gender, migration status, marital status, age at first sexual intercourse, and having had sex while drunk were the determinants of engaging in multiple sexual relationships. Avoiding behaviours that expose individuals to sexual risks and the negative consequences of unprotected sexual activity is crucial for youths. This study shows that receiving information about sexual health from informal sources and high-risk sexual behaviour are major public health problems amongst the immigrant youths.

Keywords

• sexual health
• immigrant youths
• high-risk sexual behaviour
• multiple sexual relationships
• condom
• Johannesburg