Sexual and Reproductive Health Service Utilization and its Impact on ART Adherence, Viral Suppression, and Reproductive Health Decisions Among Young People Living with HIV in the Northwest Region of Cameroon

Author(s): Mirabel Vifeme, Nsom Gwendoline, Epie Fanny, Emmanuel Nshom, Eveline Mboh, Pierre Marie Tebeu

Background: Cameroon has 50,000 YPLHIV and there is limited knowledge on their use of SRH services and its impact on health outcomes. This study investigated the impact of sexual and reproductive health (SRH) service utilization on antiretroviral therapy (ART) adherence, viral suppression, and reproductive health decisions among young people living with HIV (YPLHIV) in the Northwest region of Cameroon. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted using a sequential sampling of adolescents and young adults living with HIV. Structured questionnaires were used to collect data between February and April 2022 from 340 participants, aged 15-24 years in 16 HIV care and treatment sites in the Northwest Region of Cameroon. The data was cleaned and analyzed using Stata version 14.0. Results: Our findings revealed that 58% of participants utilized SRH services, with associations found between high SRH service utilization and improved ART adherence (85% adherence among those with good SRH service utilization) and viral suppression (96% suppressed viral load). Barriers to SRH service uptake included being a male, urban residence, and lack of schooling, while good SRH knowledge significantly facilitated access. Additionally, the majority of unmarried participants expressed desires to marry (87%) and have children (90%). Conclusion: This study highlights the crucial role of sexual and reproductive health service utilization in enhancing health outcomes among adolescents living with HIV. The findings indicate that access to SRH services was associated to improved adherence to antiretroviral therapy and higher rates of viral suppression. Additionally, the desire for marriage and children among YPLHIV underscores the need for supportive SRH services tailored to their unique needs. However, barriers such as gender, place of residence, and educational status hindered access to these vital services.