{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,27]],"date-time":"2026-08-27T14:19:36Z","timestamp":1787840376352,"version":"build-2784847793"},"reference-count":10,"publisher":"Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health)","issue":"4","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,1]],"date-time":"2025-10-01T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1759276800000},"content-version":"unspecified","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc-sa\/4.0"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["lww.com","ovid.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":[],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2025,10]]},"abstract":"<jats:p>Adolescents and young women in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) face disproportionately high rates of HIV infection and unintended pregnancy. As Internet access accelerates across SSA, its implications for adolescent sexual health demand urgent scrutiny. This correspondence examines the association between Internet use and risky sexual behaviours (RSBs) amongst 5920 unmarried, sexually active females aged 15\u201334, using Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) data from nine countries: Burkina Faso, C\u00f4te d\u2019Ivoire, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Madagascar, Mozambique, Rwanda and Tanzania. Data analysis employed logistic regression methods using R version 4.4.2. The prevalence of RSB was higher amongst Internet users (46.2% vs. 35.7%). It was as high as 72.2% in Lesotho, as low as 21% in Ghana. Internet users were 26% (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 1.26, 95% confidence interval [CI] = [1.09\u20131.45]) more likely to engage in RSBs. Additional drivers included age, media exposure, non-marital fertility, residence and country-specific factors. Relative to Kenya, elevated odds were found in Lesotho (aOR = 2.54, 95% CI = [1.88\u20133.46]), Burkina Faso (aOR = 2.13, 95% CI = [1.61\u20132.81]), Mozambique (aOR = 1.64 [1.26\u20132.13]) and Rwanda (aOR = 1.90, 95% CI = [1.35\u20132.70]). While digital platforms hold promise for expanding sexual education, these findings underscore the need for targeted content oversight and culturally responsive interventions to mitigate online health risks.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.4103\/npmj.npmj_96_25","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,27]],"date-time":"2025-10-27T06:00:43Z","timestamp":1761544843000},"page":"439-446","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1097\/lww.0000000000001000","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Exploring the Relationship between Internet Use and Risky Sexual Behaviors among Unmarried Adolescents and Young Females in Sub-Saharan Africa: Insights from DHS Data"],"prefix":"10.4103","volume":"32","author":[{"given":"Justin","family":"Dansou","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation (PME), National School of Statistics, Planning and Demography (ENSPD), University of Parakou, Parakou, Benin Republic, New York, USA"},{"name":"External Research Collaborator, Girl Center, Population Council, New York, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"276","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,27]]},"reference":[{"key":"R1-20251027","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e37600","DOI":"10.2196\/37600","article-title":"Pilot implementation of a user-driven, web-based application designed to improve sexual health knowledge and communication among young Zambians: Mixed methods study","volume":"24","author":"Sharma","year":"2022","journal-title":"J Med Internet Res"},{"key":"R2-20251027","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"202","DOI":"10.1186\/s12978-021-01246-0","article-title":"Parent-adolescent communication on adolescent sexual and reproductive health in Sub-Saharan Africa: A qualitative review and thematic synthesis","volume":"18","author":"Usonwu","year":"2021","journal-title":"Reprod 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people in south africa","volume":"19","author":"Odimegwu","year":"2022","journal-title":"Reproductive Health"},{"key":"R10-20251027","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"8p","DOI":"10.1186\/s12905-024-03107-x","article-title":"Risky sexual behavior and associated factors among reproductive age women in eastern african countries: A multilevel analysis of the recent demographic and health survey","volume":"24","author":"Workneh","year":"2024","journal-title":"BMC Women\u2019s Health"},{"key":"R11-20251027","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"415","DOI":"10.1080\/15546128.2021.1904310","article-title":"A systematic review of individual, psychological and sociocultural factors associated with safe and risky sexual behavior in older adults","volume":"16","author":"Melasio","year":"2021","journal-title":"American Journal of Sexuality Education [Internet]"}],"container-title":["Nigerian Postgraduate Medical Journal"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.ovid.com\/10.4103\/npmj.npmj_96_25","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,27]],"date-time":"2026-08-27T13:21:39Z","timestamp":1787836899000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.ovid.com\/10.4103\/npmj.npmj_96_25"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2025,10]]},"references-count":10,"journal-issue":{"issue":"4","published-print":{"date-parts":[[2025]]}},"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.4103\/npmj.npmj_96_25","relation":{},"ISSN":["1117-1936","2468-6875"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1117-1936","type":"print"},{"value":"2468-6875","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2025,10]]},"assertion":[{"value":"2025-03-21","name":"received","label":"Received","group":{"name":"publication_history","label":"Publication 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