Epidemiology: Open Access

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Risky Sexual Behavior and Associated Factors among Reproductive Age Group High School Students: Institution Based Cross Sectional Study

Hana Seyfu and Tadele Yohannes*

Background: Young people are the back bone of every counter’s future. At the same time, they are the ones that are at greater risk for many risky sexual behaviors. In Ethiopia, despite the significance of the problem, there is little research work in the area of risky sexual behaviors and associated factors among high school students. The objective of this study was to assess risky sexual behaviors and associated factors in high school students in Shashemene and Bulchana Preparatory Schools.

Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted from April 28-30 E.C. The calculated sample size was allocated to each grade by using simple random sampling technique. A total of 372 students were enrolled in this study. Data were entered using Epi-Data version 3.1 and exported to SPSS version 20 for analysis. Binary logistic regression analysis was used to see significance of association between the outcome and independent variables. Odds ratios at 95% CI were computed to measure the strength of the association between the outcome and the explanatory variables. P-value ˂0.05 was considered as a statistically significant.

Results: From the 372 students participated in the study, 111(29.8%) had sexual experience out of which 72 (64.8%) committed their first sex at less than 18 years of age. The mean age at the first sexual intercourse was 17.04 ± 1.7562.

Being alcohol consumer (AOR: (17.8, 95% CI: (4.23, 75.1), chewing khat (15.41, 95% CI: (2.96, 60.68), whose family do not know where they spent their time (0.027, 95% CI: (0.007, 0.111) and discussion with family about HIV and STI (AOR: (0.006, 95% CI: (0.001, 0.029) were factors significantly associated with risky sexual behavior.

Conclusions: Majority of the students had at least one of the risky sexual behaviors. Alcohol consumption, chewing khat, parental relationship and discussion with family about HIV and STI were factors significantly associated with risky sexual behavior. School Health education on risky sexual behavior should be given to the students. Health bureau, schools, parents and other concerned bodies should give due attention for risky sexual behavior.