Systematic review examines factors influencing HIV vulnerability in young women, highlighting the need for integrated prevention strategies.
Key Points
This review aims to synthesize individual, interpersonal, and structural determinants influencing HIV vulnerability among adolescent girls and young women in sub-Saharan Africa.
Conducted a systematic review according to PRISMA 2020 guidelines.
Searched five electronic databases for studies on HIV vulnerability determinants in AGYW.
Synthesized findings using a social ecological framework; meta-analysis performed on comparable quantitative data.
Age discordant partnerships, transactional sex, and intimate partner violence were associated with increased HIV vulnerability, with pooled estimates indicating elevated risks.
Poverty, food insecurity, school dropout, and migration were identified as consistent structural drivers of vulnerability.
Low perceived susceptibility to HIV and inconsistent condom use were common risk behaviors linked to gender power imbalances.