Determinants of Risky Sexual Behavior among Secondary School Adolescents in Cross River State, Nigeria

Abstract

Background: Adolescent risky sexual behavior and its consequences are serious problems affecting all the nations negatively and require research attention to profer solutions. Aim: To determine the prevalence of risky sexual behavior and its determinants among adolescents in co-educational secondary schools in Cross River State (CRS).

Materials and Methods: The study design was cross sectional and involved the use of semi-structured self-administered questionnaire that had two sections A and B. Data were analyzed with IBM SPSS version 21 using descriptive measures and frequency distributions. Non-co-educational secondary schools, co-educational secondary schools with sexuality education programs, and private secondary schools were excluded, and only co-educational public secondary schools without sexuality education programs and students 10–19 years were included in the study.

Results: Prevalence of sexual intercourse was 41.5% and was statistically significantly higher among the boys than the girls. Among the sexually exposed boys, 33% of them were sexually active, while among the girls, 32.7% were sexually active.(χ² = 0.73; P =0.34). Among the age groups, 33% of students within the ages of 14–16 years and 82.6% within the ages of 17–19 years were sexually exposed. The percentages sexually exposed for polygamous and monogamous homes were 186 (55.5%) and 106 (27.7%), respectively (χ2 = 58; P = 0.00). Similarly, students in SS3 class and students that were not monitored by parents had higher percentages of ever indulging in sexual activity, with 79.7% and 52.3%, respectively (χ² = 17.3; P = 0.00), (χ² = 56; P = 0.01). Forty-nine point four (49.4%) of the students whose mothers had at most primary education have had sexual exposure, while 34% of those whose mothers had at least secondary education have had sexual exposure (χ² = 18.23; P = 0.00). Similarly, students whose parents had unskilled jobs also had a high percentage of sexual exposure (χ² = 13.6; P = 0.00.). Age (odds ratio [OR] = 2.69) indicated that as the age increases the students were 2.69 times more likely to be sexually exposed, Family type (OR = 3.01) showed that students from polygamous homes were 3 times more likely to have been sexually exposed than their counterparts from monogamous families.

Conclusion: The prevalence of risky sexual behavior among students in co-educational secondary schools in CRS, Nigeria, is high. Age, family type, parental monitoring, and socioeconomic status were strongly associated with risky sexual behavior.