(Sample Title)

Adolescents' Knowledge, Sexual Activity, and Contraceptive Decisions:

Implications for the Prevention of Adolescent HIV Infection
Throughout history some adolescents have engaged in sexual intercourse and
contracted HIV. With the advent of more reliable contraceptives and with changes
in beliefs about premarital sex, an increasingly large percentage of adolescents
have decided to engage in sex prior to marriage. They have begun having sex at an
increasingly early age. With an increasing number of years of sexual activity prior
to marriage, their number of sexual partners also have increased. All these trends
have led to greater possible exposure to STDs. Thats why it is essential to know
how adolescents know or learn the knowledge about contraceptives, the statistics
of how many used it or not and its implications to prevent HIV infection.
(partial/draft/sample to be still improved)

Research problems & Statistics (Can be part of Background

of the Study)
HIV Fast Facts in the Philippines (Source: DOH NEC HIV AIDS Registry
December 2010; 2009 DoH Integrated HIV Behavioral and Serologic Surveillance;
Young Adult Fertility and Sexuality Survey, 2003)
DoH HIV monthly statistics: http://www.doh.gov.ph/node/2598/
Out of 63 countries reporting data to the 2010 UNAIDS Global Report, the
Philippines is one of seven countries with increasing HIV cases together
with Armenia, Bangladesh, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan. All
other countries report stable or decreasing infection rates.
Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection rates in the Philippines
have increased nearly five-fold between 2007 and 2010, from 342 newly

reported infections in 2007 to 1,591 in 2010. Newly reported infections

among young people 15 to 24 years of age, however, increased 10-fold over
the same period (from 41 in 2007 to 489 in 2010).
Currently, about a third of all new infections occur in young people aged 1524 years of age. Half of the population in the country is younger than 21
years and at least 6.3% of teenagers (15-19 years old) have already begun
child bearing. Overall prevalence of pre-marital sexual activity increased
from 18 percent to 23 percent between 1994 and 2002.
While no one is completely free of the risk of acquiring HIV, some young
people have a higher risk of infection. Substantial peer pressure for risk
taking, limited opportunities to learn about staying safe, lacking skills to
communicating their needs or living without the support of parents leaves
young people very vulnerable to HIV.
Adolescents do not have easy access to essential facts about HIV. The mostrecent national survey among young people on HIV and STI awareness
showed 73% thought that they are immune to HIV. Among high-risk 15-17
year olds, only 18-24% were able to answer 5 simple questions on HIV,
compared with 31-46% among adults. .
Adolescents do not have easy access to essential facts about HIV. The mostrecent national survey among young people on HIV and STI awareness
showed 73% thought that they are immune to HIV. Among high-risk 15-17
year olds, only 18-24% were able to answer 5 simple questions on HIV,
compared with 31-46% among adults. .
Adolescents with high-risk behaviours often find themselves excluded from
HIV services. For example, among 15-17 year old boys with high risk
behaviours surveyed, only up to 0.5% had ever been tested for HIV.
Young people have little or no access to health services when it comes to
sexual and reproductive health. Filipino youth need sound and accurate
information to protect them from teen pregnancy, early marriage, genderbased violence, risky social and sexual behaviours, and STIs and HIV.

Sexual behaviour: According to the 2002 Young Adult Fertility and Sexuality
Study (YAFSS 3) of youth aged 1524, the average age of sexual debut was 18
years.25 The median age of first sexual intercourse among women aged 1549 in
the 2008 National Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) was 21.5 years.
Among women aged 1519, 2.1% had their first sexual intercourse at age 15.26

The 2008 NDHS reported that among adolescent women aged 1519, 13.6% have
ever had sexual intercourse, of whom 4.7% had used a condom at first sexual
intercourse. Among women who had their first sexual intercourse before age 15,
14.7% were forced against their will; for those who had their first sexual
intercourse between the ages of 15 and 19, 5.1% were forced against their will. Of
the 12.6% who had had sex in the past 12 months, 15.5% had had higher-risk
sexual intercourse, of whom 8.7% had used a condom at the last encounter.27
In the 2002 YAFSS 3, the mean number of sexual partners among those aged 15
24 was 4.1 among males and 2.8 among females. In the same study, about 12% of
those aged 1519 and 40% of those aged 2024 admitted to having had premarital
sex.28 Premarital sex among youth increased from 18% to 23% from 1994 to
2002.29 It was estimated that 40% of first sexual encounters and 70% of most
recent sexual encounters among youth were without any protection.30
http://www.wpro.who.int/topics/adolescent_health/philippines_fs.pdf

Operational Definitions (To be decided)

Sexual activity - the acts of sexual intercourse and its related activities.
Contraceptive usage - the use of different kinds of contraceptives to ease sex
and/or prevent conception.