Hiv/aids Infection, sexual attitudes and orphan schooling in Cameroon: the respective roles of socio-economic status and orphanhood

This study examines the socio-economic determinants of HIV/AIDS infection and associated sexual practices in Cameroon. It also explores orphan’s school enrollment and schooling gap vis-à-vis non orphans. The study analyzed data from the fourth Demographic and Health Survey which includes Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (DHS-MICS IV) by using Probit regression models and OLS models. Key findings are that compared with people from the richest wealth quintiles, poorer people were more likely to use condoms and less likely to have extramarital sex. Also, poorest, poorer and middle class men were less likely to have high risk sex than men in the richest quintile while poorer women were more likely to engage in high risk sex than their richest counterparts. Also, uneducated and primary educated men were less likely to use condoms at last sex compared with secondary and higher educated people, but were also less likely to engage in high risk sex. Unemployed men were less likely to pay for sex than employed men while unemployed women were more likely to use condoms at last sex, but also less likely to use condoms at last high risk sex, compared with employed women. Additionally, poorer men were less likely to be infected with HIV virus than richer men. Furthermore, orphans were less likely to be enrolled in school and had a positive schooling gap than non orphans. The study recommended that there was need for more targeted policy that accounts for people in all strata of the society. Also, there is need for a mechanism that enforces the children’s right to schooling and parent’s or guardian’s obligations to send the children to school, especially for orphaned children.