Factors that influence sexual behaviour in young women

This study investigated factors that influence the sexual behaviour of adolescent girls attending community secondary schools in Malawi. In-depth interviews with 22 sexually active and 17 abstinent girls were conducted. Grounded theory method guided data collection and analysis. ATLAS.ti 5.0 GmbH Berlin was used to analyze data. The following themes emerged as factors that informed sexual decisions of female adolescents: future-oriented goals, religious values, fear of consequences of sexual activity, cultural values, sexual desire, romantic interpersonal relationships, material gain, and parental and peer influence. The findings indicate the need for including sociocultural, psychological, as well as biological factors in designing HIV prevention interventions for young people.