The Effect of youth Centers on Reduction of Risky Sexual Behaviors among Youth in Addis Ababa, 2016
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Date
2016-06
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Addis Abeba Universty
Abstract
Introduction: Risky sexual behaviors negatively affect the health of adolescents and young
adults putting them at high risk of sexually transmitted infections and unwanted pregnancy for
females, which may cause serious health consequences, social and economic problems. In
addition, unwanted pregnancies may lead to school dropout and end up with unsafe abortion. No
attempt was done to assess the effect of youth centers in reduction of risky sexual behaviors.
Therefore, this study was designed to assess the difference in engagement of risky sexual
behaviors between users and non-users of youth centers among youth in Addis Ababa.
METHODS: A comparative cross-sectional study design was employed among 524 youth in
Addis Ababa from September, 2015 to June, 2016. Multi-stage sampling was used to select youths
from randomly selected sub cities. The data was cleaned, entered and analyzed through EPI-INFO
7 and SPSS version 16.0. First distribution of variables was presented by using tables and
descriptive statistics to calculate some statistical datas and then logstic regressin model were used
to measure magnitude of risky sexual behaviors among users and non-users.
Results: Nearly half 254 (48%) of the respondents ever had sexual intercourse. The mean age of
first sexual initiation was 18.56 (±3.019) years and about 37% of those who ever had sexual
intercourse started it before the age of 18 years. Among those who ever had sex 47% of them
never used condom. The over all prevalence of risky sexual behavior was 43.1% and the
prevalence of risky sexual behavior among users and non-users were 38.5% and 47.7%
respectively (P-value = 0.042). Utilization sataus of the youth center and age of the respondents
were significantly associated with risky sexual behavior. Non-users of the youth center RH clinic
were 1.570 times more likely to engage in risky sexual behavior compared to users of the youth
center (AOR= 1.570; 95%CI = 1.056, 2.333). Youth aged 15-19 years were 92.1% less likely to
practice risky sexual behavior compared to youth aged 25-29 years old (AOR = 0.079; 95%CI =
0.041, 0.376).
Conclusion: A significant number of youths had risky sexual behavior that might lead them to
different reproductive health risks. Non-users of the youth center were at a significantly higher
risk of sexual behaviors than users.
Keywords: Youth, Risky sexual behavior, Youth center, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Description
Keywords
Youth, Risky sexual behavior, Youth center, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia