Abstract
Unprotected sex is a sex-related risk behavior that contributes to pregnancy and sexually transmitted disease transmission amongst adolescents. Adolescents have high rates of unprotected sex and sexually transmitted diseases, and they are at increased risk for adverse behaviors and outcomes. Establishing risk factors for unprotected sex in adolescents is one of the essential steps in developing primary and secondary prevention programs in universities and communities. However there is lack of information on unprotected sex and associated factors among private university adolescents in the study area. Thus, the aim of this study was to assess the effects of associated factors on unprotected sex among adolescent students of Rift Valley University Jimma campus, Jimma town, South West Ethiopia. Institutional based cross-sectional study was employed from November 06 - 21, 2017. Five hundred twenty three (523) adolescent students of Rift Valley University Jimma campus were selected using a simple random sampling technique. Data were collected using a pre-tested, structured, self-administered questionnaire and analyzed using SPSS version 20. Multivariate logistic regression was conducted to identify the independent predictors of unprotected sex at 95% CI and P-value less than 0.05. The study revealed that 40.4% of respondents were sexually experienced. Majority (74.3%) reported having had sex with only one lifetime partner and 131 (63.6%) had used condom during sex before. Majority (56.3%) of the sexually experienced respondents were sexually active within 12 months of study. Up to 28.4% of sexually experienced respondents have had sex with a person other than their current partner and 44 (37.9%) of them did not used condom consistently. Hence, twenty three (19.8%) of the study participants were reported unprotected sexual practices. Being late age at first sexual intercourse, low parental supervision, visiting night club, and hadn’t source of information on sexuality were the significant predictors of unprotected sex within 12 months of study. The findings of this study showed that university students are involved in unprotected sex that may increase their risk of contracting Human Immunodeficiency Virus infection. Based on the above results, researcher recommended the university, families and zonal education office and other stakeholders should be involved and working in collaboration to reduce the unprotected sexual practice.
Highlights
Sexuality issues have been one of the most fundamental aspects of human existence, which is directly related to both the physical and psychosocial well-being of an individual [1]
This study revealed that majority of adolescents were supervised by their parents and those who didn’t receive parental supervision were about 5 times more likely to practice unprotected sex, which is consistent with the results of previous studies [23, 37,38,39,40]
This study revealed that large proportions of adolescent students were sexually active
Summary
Sexuality issues have been one of the most fundamental aspects of human existence, which is directly related to both the physical and psychosocial well-being of an individual [1]. Adolescents are at high danger to practice unprotected sexual behaviors and reproductive health problems. These problems are not considered health priorities by assuming these people have lower morbidity, mortality and good knowledge than older and adult age groups [2]. Adolescents are exposed to unsafe and early sex especially in developing countries and there is the risk of unwanted pregnancy, unsafe abortion and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) including HIV\AIDS [3]. Unprotected sexual activity carries with it risks to reproductive health at any age but most during adolescence, because the risks of infection are greater when full physical maturation is incomplete [4]
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