Living conditions and behaviors sexual on risks of teenagers and young people in Benin (West Africa)

Fortuné Sossa, Université Catholique de Louvain
Mêmounath Zounon

Data from EDS in Benin in 2001 show that 73.1% adolescents (girls and boys) from 15 to 24 are already in sexual activity. The behavior varies according to socio-demographic characteristics and living conditions in which they live. Three categories of adolescents were distinguished on the basis of living conditions and housing for households in which they live: those living conditions easy, moderate and poor. Compared to the age at first intercourse, the lives of adolescents do not have direct entry into the sex life before the age of 18. Among adolescents who have at least two sexual partners, significant differences are observed between groups of teenagers. Similarly, the use of condoms among adolescents is not systematic. For exposure to the media, 18.3% of adolescents said they had read a monthly newspaper about (84.6%) listen to radio broadcasts.