Survey Estimates of Non-Marital Sex and Condom Knowledge among Ethiopian Youth: Improved Estimates Using a Non-Verbal Response Card

• Authors: David P. Lindstrom, Brown University; Tefera Belachew, Jimma University; Craig Hadley, Emory University; Megan Hattori, Brown University; Dennis Hogan, Brown University; Fasil Tessema, Jimma University
• Journal Title: Studies in Family Planning
• Volume: Volume 41, Number 4
• Publisher: Wiley: 12 months | 2010-12-01, Pages 251-262
• Type of Work: Article | Post-print: After Peer Review
• Subjects: Health Sciences, Public Health
• Keywords: risky sexual behavior; condom use; HIV/AIDS; non-marital sex; bias correction

Abstract

The accurate assessment of risky sexual behaviors and barriers to condom use is essential to reduce the spread of HIV/AIDS. This study tests a new non-verbal response card method for obtaining more accurate responses to sensitive questions in the context of face-to-face interviewer-administered questionnaires in a survey of 1,269 Ethiopian youth ages 13-24 years. Comparisons of responses between a control group that provided verbal responses and an experimental group that used the card indicate that the prevalence of non-marital sexual intercourse may be twice as high as typical survey methods suggest, and that knowledge of condom access may be 20 percent lower in the study population. These results suggest that conventional face-to-face interviewer-administered surveys may provide seriously biased estimates of risky adolescent sexual behavior and perceived access to condoms in illiterate populations, hampering the development of successful programs to limit HIV/AIDS.