SPATIAL ANALYSIS OF ADOLESCENT PREGNANCY AND HIV INCIDENCE IN OHAOZARA, EBONYI STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

Despite the extensive interventions and research focused on adolescent pregnancy, there is a notable 
deficiency in the analysis of the spatial distribution of HIV among adolescent pregnant women in Nigeria. This 
study seeks to conduct a spatial analysis of adolescent pregnancy and HIV incidence in Ohaozara, Ebonyi 
State. The data encompassed age records, spatial attributes and HIV status of teenage pregnant women who 
visited antenatal clinics (ANCs) at primary health care facilities from 2018 to 2022. A total of 3,827 records of 
teenage mothers were analyzed. Similarly, a total of 692 teenage mothers who attended antenatal care were 
also sampled on the social-economic consequences of teenage pregnancy. Data were analyzed using 
prevalence rates, spatial autocorrelation, and hot spot analysis. The annual growth rate of teenage pregnancy 
was 1%, exhibiting a clustered pattern and prevalence rate of 0% to 39.73%. The hotspot areas of adolescent 
pregnancy were also identified. There was an estimated decrease of 44.1% in the incidence of HIV among 
teenage mothers for every quarter of the year. The study recommended that it is essential to educate and 
motivate parents and teenagers through seminars on the risks associated with adolescent sex.