Sexuality experiences of secondary school students in Nakuru, Kenya: a cross-sectional study

Abstract

Background: Adolescence is a phase where one is inquisitive about sex and sexuality. It is but natural to exchange the half-baked feelings and experiences with peers. These days the environment that includes public media has sexually suggestive flavors.
Objective: This study was conducted to find out the sexual experiences of a selected, few school going adolescents.
Methods: A cross-sectional study utilizing stratified sampling to enroll 200 students from secondary schools in Nakuru County, Kenya. A self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data. The data was entered and analyzed in SPSS® version 22. Chi-square test of independence and Fisher’s Exact Test were performed to test for associations.
Results: The study found that a large number have had sexual experiences of varying type. It was interesting to learn from the survey that a large number of older adolescents wish that their parents should have talked to them about sexual matters. There is a general conservative outlook that the students had. Although a small percentage had sexual experiences at a very young age, many of them valued ethics and morality.
Conclusion: There is urgency for intervention by the parents and the church in filing the gap in sexual knowledge.

Keywords: Sexuality experiences, secondary school students, Nakuru, Kenya.