Abstract
IntroductionKhat is a well-known natural stimulant and is widely used in Ethiopia, particularly in Bahir Dar city. Khat chewing is linked with risky sexual behaviors.ObjectiveThe study was aimed to determine the prevalence of chewing khat and its relation with risky sexual behaviors among residents of Bahir Dar City administration, Northwest Ethiopia.MethodsA community based cross-sectional study was conducted from January to February, 2016. The data were collected using an interviewer administered structured questionnaire. Logistic regression analysis was applied to assess association between dependent and explanatory variables.ResultsThe proportion of lifetime and current chewing khat among the study participants were 25.7 and 19.5%, respectively. Males (AOR 5.0; 95% CI 3.0–8.2) than females, merchants (AOR 4.9; 95% CI 2.6–9.3) than government employees, and those with average monthly income of ≥ 3001 Ethiopian birr (AOR 2.4; 95% CI 1.2–4.8) than ≤ 1000 had an increased current chewing khat prevalence. Having lifetime history of chewing khat was significantly associated with ever had sexual intercourse, having extra sexual partners, watching pornographic film and self-reported sexually transmitted infections.ConclusionChewing khat is associated with increment of having risky sexual behaviors and self-reported sexually transmitted infections. Harm reduction measures are needed to prevent the community from engaging in khat use and risky sexual behaviors.
Highlights
Khat is a well-known natural stimulant and is widely used in Ethiopia, in Bahir Dar city
Chewing khat is associated with increment of having risky sexual behaviors and self-reported sexually transmitted infections
Khat is a natural stimulant from the Catha edulis plant which is grown in southern Arabia and Eastern Africa, and primarily in the countries of Ethiopia, Somalia, Kenya and Yemen [1,2,3]
Summary
Khat is a well-known natural stimulant and is widely used in Ethiopia, in Bahir Dar city. Khat is a natural stimulant from the Catha edulis plant which is grown in southern Arabia and Eastern Africa, and primarily in the countries of Ethiopia, Somalia, Kenya and Yemen [1,2,3]. It is a bushy plant whose leaves are chewed for social and psychological reasons due to the active psycho-stimulant substance known as cathinone which affects central nervous system (CNS) like amphetamine. Khat was mainly cultivated and chewed in limited, eastern, part of the country Nowadays, it is grown and consumed in all parts of the country including Amhara region [2, 9]
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