Assessment of Sexual Behavior and Knowledge of Sti and Hiv/Aids among High School Adolescents in Jardega Jarte Woreda, Oromia Regional State, Ethiopia, 2014
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Date
2014-06
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
Background: Today, adolescents are recognized as groups with special health-relatedvulnerabilities .They are exposed to various risks such as unprotected sex, early marriage, earlypregnancy, sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and HIV/AIDS. Many adolescents are sexuallyactive. These sexual activities put adolescents at risk of various reproductive health problemsincluding STI and HIV/AIDS.STIs have occurred mostly among young people, with the highest reported rates found among those aged 15-24 years.
Objective:The major objective of this study is to assess the sexual behavior and the knowledge of STI and HIV/AIDS among high school adolescents.
Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 562 adolescents using a pre testedquestionnaires from March to April 2014, among two high schools, in Jardega Jarte woreda,Horo Guduru Wollega zone, west Oromia regional state.
Result: From the total respondents, 38.6 % ( 53% of male and 47% of female) of adolescentshad experienced sexual activity. Among those, only 46.6% of them had used condom the first timethey had sexual intercourse. The mean age at first sexual intercourse was 16.24 (16.24 ± 0.682)for male and 15.40 (15.40±0.796) for females. From all sexually active adolescents, 92.2%(97.2% of boys and 86.7% of the girls) had their first sexual intercourse between the ages of 15and17 years.The reasons cited for the initiation of their first sexual intercourse were fall in love (37.9%), haddesire, 74 (36%), peer pressure, 30 (14.5%), were drunk, 12 (5.8%), to get money or gifts, 5(2.4%), rape, 4(1.9%), and got married, 2 (0.9%).Among all adolescents, 45.7% of students have heard about sexual intercourse other than vaginalwhile 54.3% of students have not heard.98.9% of the respondents claimed to have ever heard about sexually transmitted diseases (STIs),of which, HIV/AIDS (96.6%), gonorrhea (75.8%), Syphilis, (74.3%) and Chancroids (40.1%),were the most commonly known types of STI.The most commonly cited sources of information for HIV/AIDS were media, such as radio andTV, (78.3%), school clubs,(74.5%) and followed by school teachers, (62.9%).The majority of the adolescents mentioned the modes of HIV/AIDS transmission to be throughunprotected sexual intercourse (96.4%), sharing contaminated instruments (81.8%) followed byfrom mother to child (68.4).
Conclusions and recommendations: from this study, one can conclude that substantialproportion of the adolescents ever had sexual intercourse was higher. Moreover adolescents arepracticing risky sexual behaviors such as unprotected sex, multiple sexual partners, and sex atearly age. Therefore, an integrated effort needs to be initiated to address such adolescents’ sexualand reproductive health problems through establishing and strengthening school anti AIDS clubs,providing in service training for teachers on adolescent reproductive health and establishing youth centers
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Sexual Behavior Knowledge Adolescents