Investigating factors associated with HIV among 15 to 24 year old females

Abstract

Among the sub-saharan African countries South Africa has the highest number of people who are living with HIV and AIDS in the world. HIV prevalence have remain high among young females. In this study we focus on the factors associated with HIV among females in age group 15 to 24 years where the outcome variables of interest are HIV status and the perceived risk of being infected.

Data used is from a third surveillance survey conducted by Human Sciences Research Council in South Africa in 2008. The survey included a master sample of 1 000 enumeration areas (communities) and 15 households were selected per enumeration area. Within a household, at most 4 eligible individuals were selected. In this study we focus on females in age group 15 to 24 who participated in the survey totaling 2 815. Generalized Linear Mixed models are used to study this association while accounting for the survey design where the univariate and bivariate models are fitted where the communities are used as clust