Risk factors for unplanned sex among university students in Kampala, Uganda: a qualitative study

Abstract

There is inadequate in-depth information on the risk factors for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) among university students in Uganda, and more so of those that are unrelated to alcohol and drug use. ‘Unplanned sex’ is defined here as sexual intercourse that a person or individual decides out of free will as undesired. We conducted cross-sectional in-depth qualitative study with 23 students (52% female, age 19–25 years) from five universities in Kampala, Uganda as part of a larger survey group sampled from October 2008 through April 2009. Participants were selected based on their responses to select questions and themes of interest. Twenty-two students reported unplanned sex and one student seemed not to have had unplanned sex. Some university students reported environmental and personal factors as mitigating factors for unplanned sex: ‘We meet so many friends especially when we go to beaches and attend sports, having sex here comes unplanned and appears to be fun for everyone’ (Farida, 22 years old). Addressing factors associated with unplanned sex may contribute to prevention and control of HIV/STI and unplanned pregnancies among emerging adults in sub-Saharan Africa.