ADOLESCENT RISKY SEXUAL BEHAVIOR AND ASSOCIATED FACTORS AMONG SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS IN GUDURU DISTRICT HORO GUDURU WOLLEGA, OROMIA, ETHIOPIA

Abstract

Background: - Adolescence sexual behavior is quickly emerging as a public health problem and they were susceptible to engaging in risky sexual behavior due to perceptions of personal freedom and their tendency to focus on the immediate, rather than long-term, consequences of their behavior. Limited research has been done on adolescents particularly secondary school student`s risky sexual behavior with different finding. Objective:-This study was aimed at assessing the magnitude and factors associated with risky sexual behaviors among secondary school students in Guduru district, Oromia, Ethiopia. Methodology: - School based cross-sectional study was conducted on secondary school students in Guduru district from March 4 to 8, 2019. Multistage sampling technique was used to get the required sample size of 1236 study participants. A structured pretested and self-administered questionnaire was used to collect the data. Data was entered using EpiData version 3.1 and analyzed by Statistical package for social science (SPSS) version 22.Binary and multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to see significance of association between the outcome and covariate. Adjusted 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: - A total of 1181 students with 95.6% response rate were included in the study and 352 (29.8%); 95% CI: [27.2, 32.6] reported that they had initiated sexual intercourse. From those who started sex, 240(68.2%); 95% CI: [63.6, 72.70] were involved in risky sexual behavior (RSB). The mean age and SD of first sexual initiation were 17.49(SD±0.732) years. RSB is associated with female respondents (AOR: 3.55, 95% CI: (21.6,7.84) , drinking alcohol (AOR:2.98,95% CI: (1.27,6.97),perceive peer pressure (AOR:4.99 ,95% CI:(1.79,13.96),never communicated with parents on sexual issue(AOR:9.58 ,95% CI: (3.53,25.94)were factors significantly associated with risky sexual behavior. Conclusion: - Among sexually active adolescents in secondary schools majority were involved in risky sexual behaviors. Finding of the study indicated that interventions could be targeted to the identified predictors to reduce or prevent RSB by focusing on awareness creation for parents, school community and students on how to protect them from RSB.