Coerced and forced sexual initiation and its association with negative health outcomes among youth: Results from the Nigeria, Uganda, and Zambia Violence Against Children and Youth Surveys

Coerced and forced sexual initiation can have detrimental effects on children and youth. Understanding health outcomes that are associated with experiences of forced sexual initiation is important for developing appropriate strategies for prevention and treatment of forced sexual initiation and its consequences.

The Violence Against Children and Youth Surveys were conducted in Nigeria, Uganda, and Zambia in 2014 and 2015 to examine the prevalence of forced sexual initiation and its consequences among youth aged 13–24 years. Forced sexual initiation is associated with infrequent condom use, recent experiences of violence and mental health outcomes among youth in sub-Saharan Africa, which may increase the risk for HIV and other consequences.