A syndemic of inequitable gender norms and intersecting stigmas on condom self-efficacy and practices among displaced youth living in urban slums in Uganda: a community-based cross-sectional study

Background Adverse socio-cultural factors compromise the implementation of HIV prevention strategies among displaced youth.

While condoms are an affordable and effective HIV prevention strategy for youth, stigma and inequitable gender norms may constrain condom self-efficacy (i.e., knowledge, intentions, and relationship dynamics that facilitate condom negotiation) and use.

Further, knowledge of contextually appropriate HIV prevention approaches are constrained by limited understanding of the socio-cultural conditions that affect condom self-efficacy and use among displaced youth.

Guided by syndemics theory, we examine independent and joint effects of adverse socio-cultural factors associated with condom self-efficacy and use among displaced youth living in urban slums in Kampala, Uganda.

Methods We conducted a community-based cross-sectional survey of displaced youth aged 16–24 years living in five slums in Kampala.

We used multivariable logistic regression and multivariate linear regression to assess independent and two-way interactions among adverse socio-cultural factors (adolescent sexual and reproductive health-related stigma [A-SRH stigma], perceived HIV-related stigma, and beliefs in harmful inequitable gender norms) on condom self-efficacy and recent consistent condom use.

We calculated the prevalence and co-occurrence of adverse socio-cultural factors; conducted regression analyses to create unique profiles of adverse socio-cultural factors; and then assessed joint effects of adverse socio-cultural factors on condom self-efficacy and practices.

Results Among participants (mean age: 19.59 years; SD: 2.59; women: n  = 333, men: n  = 112), 62.5% were sexually active.

Of these, only 53.3% reported recent consistent condom use.

Overall, 42.73% of participants reported two co-occurring adverse socio-cultural factors, and 16.63% reported three co-occurring exposures.

We found a joint effect of beliefs in harmful inequitable gender norms with high A-SRH stigma (β = − 0.20; p  < 0.05) and high A-SRH stigma with high perceived HIV stigma (β = − 0.31; p  < 0.001) on reduced condom self-efficacy.

We found a multiplicative interaction between high A-SRH stigma with high perceived HIV stigma (aOR = 0.52; 95% CI 0.28, 0.96) on recent consistent condom use.

Additionally, we found that condom self-efficacy (aOR = 1.01; 95% CI 1.05, 1.16) and safer sexual communication (aOR = 2.12; 95% CI 1.54, 2.91) acted as protective factors on inconsistent condom use.

Conclusions Displaced youth living in urban slums exhibited low consistent condom use.

Intersecting stigmas were associated with lower condom self-efficacy—a protective factor linked with increased consistent condom use.

Findings highlight the importance of gender transformative and intersectional stigma reduction approaches to increase sexual agency and safer sex practices among Kampala’s slum-dwelling displaced youth.