Sexual risk behaviour among undergraduate students in Enugu, Nigeria

Summary

This study aims to identify high-risk sexual behaviour among undergraduate students in a developing country and to formulate programmes targeted at reduction of complications of such risky sexual behaviour. This was a questionnaire survey taken of undergraduate students in four institutions of higher learning in Enugu, Nigeria over a 1-month period. The prevalence of sexual activity was 76.8%, with 85.4% of females and 62.3% of males having more than one sexual partner. More female students than their male counterparts (65.7% vs 42.2%) had their first sexual encounter as an adolescent. Sexual risk behaviour that includes having multiple sexual partners, not using a condom, anal and oral sex were more common among the lower social class, adolescents, females and those living off-campus. While economic reasons are a major factor that encourages risky sexual behaviour in the female, the urge to have sex and curiosity, tended to favour such sexual experimentation in the male. Despite a good knowledge of the complications that could follow such risky sex behaviour, the sex lives of the students remained unchanged. Educational and risk reduction programmes targeting a change in belief and behaviour is required to maintain sexual safety among these youth.