Guang Rong Zhu1, Cheng Ye Ji1, Xing Hua Yang2. 1. Institute of Child and Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing 100191, China. 2. Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, China.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To estimate the relationship between migration and HIV risky behavior when controlling for gender, age, and educational levels and to evaluate the gender differences in migration, HIV knowledge, and HIV risky behaviors among rural youth in China. METHODS: A cross-sectional, anonymous, investigative questionnaire for 1710 unmarried, out-of-school rural youth, aged between 15 and 24 years, was handed out in Gongzhuling county of Jilin province, China. RESULTS: 58.5% of participants had a history of migration, irrespective of gender. There were gender differences observed in other factors such as drug abuse (4.3% for males and 5.5% for females, P<0.01), multiple sexual partners (24.1% for males and 44.1% for females, P<0.01), and HIV knowledge rate (35.2% for males and 25.5% for females, P<0.001). While controlling for gender, age, and educational levels, the relationships between migration and drug abuse, selling sex, and non usage of condoms during last instance of sexual activity were found to be significant. The cases of premarital sex and multiple sexual partners were both not found to be related to migration. CONCLUSION: Among rural youth, the HIV risky behavior such as drug abuse, selling sex, and lack of condom use, is significantly related to migration, while premarital sex and multiple sexual partners seem unrelated to migration.
OBJECTIVE: To estimate the relationship between migration and HIV risky behavior when controlling for gender, age, and educational levels and to evaluate the gender differences in migration, HIV knowledge, and HIV risky behaviors among rural youth in China. METHODS: A cross-sectional, anonymous, investigative questionnaire for 1710 unmarried, out-of-school rural youth, aged between 15 and 24 years, was handed out in Gongzhuling county of Jilin province, China. RESULTS: 58.5% of participants had a history of migration, irrespective of gender. There were gender differences observed in other factors such as drug abuse (4.3% for males and 5.5% for females, P<0.01), multiple sexual partners (24.1% for males and 44.1% for females, P<0.01), and HIV knowledge rate (35.2% for males and 25.5% for females, P<0.001). While controlling for gender, age, and educational levels, the relationships between migration and drug abuse, selling sex, and non usage of condoms during last instance of sexual activity were found to be significant. The cases of premarital sex and multiple sexual partners were both not found to be related to migration. CONCLUSION: Among rural youth, the HIV risky behavior such as drug abuse, selling sex, and lack of condom use, is significantly related to migration, while premarital sex and multiple sexual partners seem unrelated to migration.