Risky Sexual Behaviour and Predisposing Factors to HIV/STI Among Students in Mizan-Tepi University (A Case of Tepi Campus)

Abstract

Students of higher institutions are assumed to have risky sexual behaviour that exposed to HIV infection. This study aimed to identify imperative information on Sexual risky behavior and Pre-exposing factors to have multiple sexual partners among Mizan-Tepi University students in Ethiopia in order to design an intervention method. Institution based Cross-sectional study was conducted from April to May 2015. Both qualitative and quantitative study was conducted among 808 students. The data were collected using self-administered questionnaire and analysed using SPSS V.16.0. 306 (37.9%) students ever had sex and 168(63.36%) of them had in campus. Among whoever had sex, 37.9% had sex in the last 12 months, 28.3% had multiple sexual partners, 211(69.4%) not used condom consistently, 110(36.9%) have sexual partner out of campus, 214(71.1%) were attend night dance group and 539(66.71%) used substance. Students that view Pornography, use substances and attend night group dance were 2.8 (OR, 95%CI, 2.801 (1.658-4.730), 1.5 times (OR, 95%CI, 1.502(.865-2.609) and 1.3 times (OR, 95%CI, 1.301(.787-2.152) more likely to have multiple sexual partner respectively. Among respondents who perceive the risk of HIV in the campus reduce the likely hood to have multiple sexual partners by 0.7 (OR, 95%CI; 0.686(0.809-0.517) and having multiple sexual partner reduce the probability of using condom by half (0.5) unit (OR, 95%CI, 0.517(.295-.904) at P<0.05. Substance use, sexual partner, living out of campus, shisha use, night group dance and STD history were identified as predisposing factors to risky sexual behaviour. The study revealed serious risky sexual behaviors and predisposing factors among the students, which may expose them to HIV. The universities should review the existing curriculum to integrate or separately develop as a course which can be taken as sex education and HIV/STD, and provide special attention to female students’ life skill training.