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Table 1 Characteristics of the study participants, youth aged 15–24 years (n = 2251), Ifakara (Tanzania), 2012/13

From: Prevalence of self-reported symptoms of sexually transmitted infections, knowledge and sexual behaviour among youth in semi-rural Tanzania in the period of adolescent friendly health services strategy implementation

Characteristics

All study participants n = 2251 (%)

Participants who reported having STI symptoms (n = 448)

Socio Demographic

 Gender

Male

718 (31.9)

157 (35.0)

 

Female

1533 (68.1)

291 (65.0)

 Age [mean (SD)]

 

Mean 20.2; SD (2.5)

Mean 19.9; SD (2.5)

 Marital status

Single

2590 (70.6)

318 (71.0)

 

Married

610 (27.1)

121 (27.1)

 

Divorced or separated

51 (2.3)

9 (2.0)

 Education level

None/Primary

1155 (51.3)

242 (54.0)

 

Secondary and above

1096 (48.7)

206 (46.0)

 Current activity

In school

482 (21.4)

89 (19.9)

 

Work

785 (34.9)

164 (36.5)

 

Both

20 (1.0)

7 (1.6)

 

None

964 (42.8)

188 (42.0)

 Membership of one or more social network

Yes

124 (5.5)

31 (7.0)

 

No

2127 (94.5)

417 (93.0)

 Ethnicity

Pogoro

501 (22.3)

107 (33.9)

 

Ngoni

289 (12.8)

49 (10.9))

 

Ndamba

244 (10.8)

43 (9.6)

 

Sukuma

169 (7.5)

34 (7.6)

 

Hehe

146 (6.5)

28 (6.2)

 

Ngindo

141 (6.3)

30 (6.7)

 

Mbena

103 (4.6)

31 (7.0)

 

Other with frequency < 5%

658 (29.2)

126 (28.1)

Sexual behaviour

 Age at first sex [median (IQR)]

 

Median 16.0; IQR(15–18)

Median 16; IQR (15–17)

 Life time sexual partners

 

One

706 (31.4)

138 (30.8)

 

Two

553 (24.6)

100 (22.3)

 

Three or more

935 (41.5)

206 (46.0)

 

Don’t Know

57 (2.5)

4 (0.9)

 Past 12 months sexual partners

None

336 (14.9)

65 (14.5)

 

One

1750 (77.7)

340 (75.9)

 

Two or more

165 (7.3)

43 (9.6)

 Partner age difference(past year)

Partner older by at least 5 years

1036 (54.2)

205 (45.8)

 

Partner younger by at least 5 years

152 (8.0)

32 (7.1)

 

Partner of about same age

650 (34.0)

128 (28.6)

 

Engaged in more than one group

74 (3.9)

16 (4.0)

 Condom use last sex with first most recent partner (past year)

Don’t have partner

447 (21.2)

94 (21.0)

 

Yes

585 (26.0)

105 (23.5)

 

No

1186 (52.8)

248 (55.5)

 

Missing

2

1

STI knowledge

 Heard of STI

Yes

1882 (83.6)

388 (86.6)

 

No

369 (16.4)

60 (13.9)

 STI sign knowledge

Low

1516 (67.4)

284 (63.4)

 

High

735 (32.7)

164 (36.6)

 Heard of condoms

Yes

2205 (97.9)

438 (97.8)

 

No

46 (2.1)

10 (2.2)

HIV status and access to health services

   

 Ever had VCT

Yes

442 (19.6)

72 (16.1)

 

No

1809 (80.4)

376 (83.9)

 HIV status (n = 2042)

Positive

86 (4.2)

25 (5.9)

 

Negative

1956 (95.8)

397 (94.1)

 Health service usea

Never

714 (31.7)

149 (33.3)

 

1–3 visit

1060 (47.1)

212 (47.3)

 

4 or more visit

477 (21.2)

87 (19.4)

STI symptoms

 painful urination

Yes

376 (16.7)

376 (83.9)

 urinated blood

Yes

84 (3.7)

84 (18.8)

 genital discharge

Yes

54 (2.4)

54 (12.1)

 genital ulcers or swelling

Yes

89 (4.0)

89 (19.9)

  1. aDefined as a number of visit to hospital, dispensary or any health facility in a past year or number visited by home based healthcare workers