Understanding the Effects of Trauma Exposure, Life Stress, Intimate Partner Violence, and Depression on Sexually Transmitted Infection Risk in Post-Conflict Liberia.
Arch Sex Behav
; 53(4): 1519-1530, 2024 Apr.
Article
in En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-38167991
ABSTRACT
In sub-Saharan Africa, sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are a public health concern. The impact of STIs are exacerbated in post-conflict low- and middle-income countries, such as Liberia, where exposure to traumatic events is prevalent and access to mental health services are limited. Following a syndemics framework, this study used regression analyses to explore the independent, additive, and multiplicative effects of four psychosocial conditions (exposure to war-related traumatic events, intimate partner violence [IPV], stressful life events, and depressive symptoms) on self-reported STIs. Data were collected from 379 youth aged 18-30 years (n = 170 women; n = 179 men) in Montserrado County, Liberia. Results revealed that psychosocial variables correlated with each other and STI risk. In multivariable analysis, stressful life events, depressive symptoms, and IPV were statistically significant predictors of STI risk. We found support for an additive effect between the number of psychosocial conditions reported and STI risk, as well as a multiplicative effect (interaction) between IPV and depressive symptoms on STI risk. Our results suggest a synergy between experiencing psychosocial conditions and STI risk and point to the potential benefit of multi-level sexual health approaches that simultaneously address mental health and IPV among youth in Liberia.
Key words
Full text:
1
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Sexually Transmitted Diseases
/
Intimate Partner Violence
Type of study:
Etiology_studies
/
Prognostic_studies
/
Risk_factors_studies
Limits:
Adolescent
/
Female
/
Humans
/
Male
Country/Region as subject:
Africa
Language:
En
Year:
2024
Type:
Article