Disease Epidemiology Unit,

Objectives: To investigate whether the prevalence of HIV infection among young people, and sexual behaviours associated with increased HIV risk, are differentially distributed between students and those not attending school or college. Design: A random population sample of unmarried young people (916 males, 1003 females) aged 14–25 years from rural South Africa in 2001. Methods: Data on school attendance and HIV risk characteristics came from structured face-to-face inter-views. HIV serostatus was assessed by oral fluid ELISA. Logistic regression models specified HIV serostatus and high-risk behaviours as outcome variables. The primary exposure was school attendance. Models were adjuste