Risky Sexual Behaviours Among Senior High School Students In La-Nkwantanag Madina Municipality

ABSTRACT

Background: Adolescence is a period of risk-taking' Adolescents are confronted with decisions concerning their sexual health. However, these decisions may lead to risky sexual behaviours such as early initiation of sex, multiple sexual partners, casual sex, no or inconsistent use of condom. These behaviours increase the probability of negative health outcomes such as STIs including HIV and unwanted pregnancy. This study employed the social cognitive theory by Bandura, 1960 as an approach to assess risky sexual behaviour and its associated factors among senior high school students in the La-Nkwantanag Madina Municipality. Methods: A school-based cross-sectional survey was conducted using a structured questionnaire. A three stage stratified sampling technique was used to select adolescents between the ages of 15-24 years from three selected schools. A self-administered questionnaire method was used to gather data. Data collected included socio-demographics, parental and peer factors, sexual behaviour and contraception use, knowledge and risk perception and self-efficacy level. Data was analysed using STATA version 13 software.

Results: The mean age of respondents was 17± (1.09) years. The sample comprised 52.5% females and 47.5% males. Predominantly, females were more than males but males were older. 32% of the SHS respondents had ever had sex. Out of those who have ever had sex, 66% were engaged in risky sexual behaviours. Multivariate analysis showed that environmental factors such as parental monitoring, seeking permission and behavioural factors such as condom use first sex were the predictors of risky sexual behaviours in this study with SHS respondents whose parents monitor their movement being eighteen and thirty six times more likely not to engage in risky sexual behaviours (OR=18.30, 95% CI: 1.06-316.22) and (OR=36.22, 95% CI: 1.85-696.15) respectively as compared to those

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whose parent never monitor their movements, those who seek permission were more likely not to engage in risky sexual behaviours as compared to those who do not seek permission (OR= 0.29, 95% CI: 0.09-0.97) and those who used condom during first sex were five times more likely not to engage in risky sexual behaviours as compared to those who didn‟t use condom the first time during sex (OR=4.82, 95% CI: 2.05-11.32). Conclusions: Risky sexual behaviour is a major problem faced by adolescents. About 66% of them engaged in such behaviours with the associated factors being lack of parental monitoring and supervision, permission seeking from parents before the child goes out and not using condom during first sex.