Assessment of Sexual Behavior and Knowledge of Sexually Transmitted Infections and HIV/AIDS Among High School Adolescents in Jardega Jarte Woreda, Oromia Regional State, Ethiopia, 2014

Abstract

Background: Many people have sexual intercourse for the first time in their teen age. Lack of information and knowledge encourage sexual risk behavior such as unprotected sex, early marriage, early pregnancy, sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and HIV/AIDS. Objective:To assess the sexual behavior and the knowledge of STI and HIV/AIDS among high school adolescents. Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 562 adolescents from March to April 2014, among two high schools, in JardegaJarteworeda, HoroGuduruWollega zone, westOromia regional state. The data was entered into EPI-info 3.5.3 and transported to SPSS 21 version for analysis. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression models were used to check the association between independent and outcome variables. Result: From the total respondents, 38.6% of adolescents had experienced sexual activity. Among those, only 46.6% of them had used condom the first time they had sexual intercourse. The mean age at first sexual intercourse was 16.24 (16.24 ± 0.682) for male and 15.40 (15.40±0.796) for females. From all sexually active adolescents, 92.2% (97.2% of boys and 86.7% of the girls) had their first sexual intercourse between the ages of 15 and17 years. Conclusions and recommendations: from this study, substantial proportion of the adolescents ever had sexual intercourse. Moreover adolescents are practicing risky sexual behaviors such as unprotected sex, multiple sexual partners, and sex at early age. Therefore, an integrated effort needs to be initiated to address such adolescents’ sexual and reproductive health problems through establishing and strengthening school anti AIDS clubs, providing in service training for teachers on adolescent reproductive health and establishing youth centers.