Abstract

The National Family Planning program of Nepal has introduced the condom as an important family planning method. Despite the continuous effort from the public and private sectors at various levels, its use among youth remains low. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the factors associated with condom use during the last sexual intercourse among male college youth. We conducted a cross-sectional study and analyzed the responses of 361 male college youth (aged 19 to 24 years who reported being sexually active preceding six months of the survey), among the 903 participants who reported being involved in vaginal and anal sexual intercourse. The chi-square test was primarily used to find the associated factors and then, stepwise logistic regression was performed by selecting the covariates after the multicollinearity test followed by adjustment of confounders. We found that more than one-fourth (27.4%) of the sexually active male youth had used the condoms during their last sexual intercourse. Postgraduate male youth were four times more likely to use the condoms during the last sexual intercourse than undergraduate male youth (AOR = 4.09, 95% CI; 2.08-8.06). Similarly, married youth were less likely to use the condoms during the last sexual intercourse with 95% lower odds than their counterparts (AOR = 0.05, 95% CI; 0.01-0.38). Male youth with adequate knowledge about the condoms were 8 times more likely to use them compared to those with inadequate knowledge (AOR = 8.42, 95% CI; 4.34-16.33). Likewise, male youth with favorable attitude towards the condoms were 2.5 times more likely to use them compared to their counterparts (AOR = 2.58, 95% CI; 1.23-5.42). Similarly, male youth having two or more sex partners were 4.5 times more likely to use the condoms than the youth having only a sex partner (AOR = 4.57, 95% CI; 2.38-8.76). The study concluded that slightly more than one-fourth (27.4%) of male college youth in Kaski district used the condoms during their last sexual intercourse. Level of education, marital status, knowledge about condoms, attitude toward condoms, and number of sex partners are the determinants of condom use among male college youth so recommended for early behavioral interventions, especially in knowledge and attitude. Further studies focusing on including the rural youth and larger geography may help to reach a firmer conclusion.

Highlights

  • Adolescents are defined as the people belonging to the age between 10 to 19 years while young and youth fall under 10–24 and 15–24 age groups respectively [1]

  • We found that more than one-fourth (27.4%) of the sexually active male youth had used the condoms during their last sexual intercourse

  • Postgraduate male youth were four times more likely to use the condoms during the last sexual intercourse than undergraduate male youth (AOR = 4.09, 95% CI; 2.08–8.06)

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Summary

Introduction

Adolescents are defined as the people belonging to the age between 10 to 19 years while young and youth fall under 10–24 and 15–24 age groups respectively [1]. Evidence shows that youth with sexual initiation in their early life are more likely to have multiple sex partners and are at risk of sexually transmitted infections [7]. The previous study conducted in Kaski, Nepal showed that nearly two-thirds (60.4%) of the sexually active male youth had multiple sex partners [8]. A study conducted in Achham district of Nepal showed that the prevalence of condom use among sexually active youth during the last two sexual intercourses was 31% and 35% [9]. Low prevalence of the condom use among sexually active youth puts them at risk of sexually transmitted infections, unsafe abortion, unwanted pregnancies, and pregnancy-related complications [11]. This study aimed to assess the factors associated with condom use during the last sexual intercourse among male college youth

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