Clustered risk: An ecological understanding of sexual activity among adolescent boys and girls in two urban slums in Monrovia, Liberia

摘要

Many young people experience sexual debut before they are able to manage risk in order to avoid adverse consequences. Gender norms, social position, and power can undermine an adolescent's ability to exercise agency in their first sexual encounters and negotiate safer sexual behavior. This study examines the intersection of psychosocial and interpersonal factors with the social and physical environment to form an ecological understanding of how the determinants that shape sexual activity differ between boys and girls in two urban slums in Monrovia, Liberia. This study focuses on three different levels: 1) intrapersonal and psychosocial factors, 2) the role of the family and other interpersonal relationships, and 3) the overall community structure.