PRIMARY HEALTH CARE REPORT

Sexual Activity Among School Children

The Primary Health Care Department in Anguilla has recently released the findings of a national Adolescent Health Survey in the seven primary schools and the Albena Lake-Hodge Comprehensive School. The survey, undertaken in March and April 2002, involved the participation of 1,225 of the 1,499 enrolled school children from ten years upwards.

The survey covered all aspects of the life of the students. One of the various matters examined was the sexual behaviour of the children. The survey found that 79% of them have never had sexual intercourse. The major part of this aspect of the survey is as follows:

“The strongest predictors for delaying sexual activity for boys were the desire to wait until they were older and the desire to wait until marriage. While the two strongest predictors for girls were the same, the desire to wait until marriage was a stronger predictor of delaying sexual activity than was the desire to wait until they were older. Seventy-four percent described themselves as being somewhat or quite a bit religious, yet there was no correlation between being religious and engaging in sexual activity.

“Twenty-one percent of the adolescents surveyed reported being sexually active. A 1998 study of the reproductive health of Anguillian students in forms 2-5 revealed that 41% of students were sexually active. One possible explanation for the difference in findings is that this Adolescent study included younger adolescents and a larger sample size. The PAHO study revealed that 34% of adolescents surveyed were sexually active. It appears that Anguillian youth are less sexually active than other youth in the region.

“Sexual debut for youth in Anguilla and around the region is quite early. In Anguilla, the majority of the sexually active girls began having intercourse at 14 years of age. For boys, the majority reported having sex at 10 years or younger. This finding was similar to the regional PAHO study.

“Ten percent of young people reported that their first act of intercourse was forced or “sort of” forced, which was significantly less than what was reported regionally. Interestingly Anguillian males were more likely to have a forced sex experience. Most sexually active adolescents had just one partner. However, 23% of sexually active boys and 8% of sexually active girls reported having six or more partners, thus increasing their risk for cervical cancer and sexually transmitted infections.

“Concern about becoming or causing a pregnancy was not related to use of contraception. While 44% of all sexually active adolescents report using birth control at least sometimes, 46% have never used birth control. The strongest predictor of lack of birth control use was that the adolescents simply did not think about protecting themselves, followed by sex being unexpected. Of those using birth control, condoms were the most common method. One percent of sexually active youth reported that they have been [pregnant] or have caused a pregnancy.

“Eight percent of boys and 3% of girls reported sexual attraction to members of the same sex only. Seven percent of boys and 3% of girls were equally attracted to both sexes. In regard to actual behaviour, an equal percentage of girls and boys (5%) reported some history of same-sex sexual experience.

“While engaging in sexual activity does not cause young people to engage in negative behaviours, those who were sexually active were slightly more likely to skip school, damage property…to be in a fight where weapons were used and to shoplift.

“The number of adolescents who reported some form of abuse was a rather disturbing finding. Eight percent reported having been physically abused. The majority of the perpetrators were adults with whom the youth lived. Six percent of the students surveyed reported that they had been sexually abused, with the majority of the perpetrators being adults outside of the household. Despite the fact that the prevalence of abuse reported in this study was lower than that reported in PAHO’s regional study (16% physically abused and 10% sexually abused), there is still need for concern.

“Sexual abuse was significant correlated to physical abuse (children who were physically abused were more likely to have been sexually abused). Sexual abuse was also associated with other negative outcomes. Adolescents who had been sexually abused were more likely to suffer from depression and 20 % having attempted suicide.

“While 87% of adolescents described themselves as happy people, a disturbing 42% were either so depressed that they wanted to “just give up,” or were depressed “enough to bother them.” Seven percent of adolescents attempted suicide at least once. Like sexual abuse, parental problems were also associated with suicide. Twelve percent of children whose parents had problems with drugs, alcohol, mental or violence had attempted suicide.”

The Adolescent Health Survey was conducted in nine other regional islands.
The study was originally designed by the Pan American Health Organisation’s Caribbean Programme Coordination Office in conjunction with the World Health Organisation Collaborating Centre on Adolescent Health.

A panel of experts in Anguilla reviewed the original PAHO instrument and minor revisions were made in keeping with the Anguillian context. The study examined a wide range of health issues in an effort to gain insight into what young people in Anguilla think, feel and do.

If you have any questions regarding this study and would like additional information please feel free to contact Dr. Bonnie Richardson-Lake in the Primary Health Care Department at 497—3763/3845 or email: primaryhealthcare@anguillanet.com.