Impact of the Cameroon Adolescent and Youth Reproductive Health Intervention Program (CAREH) on Delaying Sexual Activities

Ansoumane Y. Camara, Université de Montréal
Barthelemy D. Kuate, Université de Montréal

The CAREH Program aims to improve adolescent and youth health. One of its goals is to delay youth sexual initiation. This paper evaluates the effects of CAREH’s activities by testing two hypotheses. Data are from the Cameroon Family and Health Surveys carried out in 1996/97 and 2002. A quasi-experimental design was used to compare educated youth to those not educated by the program in 2002, with respect to youth surveyed at the baseline survey. This research is based on a framework inspired of the Health Belief Model. Results indicate that the proportion of youth having premarital sexual activities has decreased during the inter-survey period, especially among those educated by the CAREH program. Multivariate analysis found that negative perception about youth premarital sexual activities and parental control both were contributing to the delay of premarital sexual initiation. This evaluation pointed out the strengths and usefulness of the CAREH’s program in Bandjoun.