PREVALENCE OF PREMARITAL SEXUAL PRACTICE AND FACTORS RELATED TO IT AMONG MEDHANEALAM HIGH SCHOOL ADOLESCENT STUDENTS, ADDIS ABABA.

Abstract

Abstract Introduction: The World Health Organization (WHO) defines adolescent people as those between the ages of 10 to 19 years. These age groups are often characterized as being at a life stage of increased experimentation and exploration associated with a range of risky behaviors, including risky sexual behaviors. Moreover, adolescents are less likely than adults to have the information, skills and support to protect themselves against HIV/AI DS and other consequences of premarital sex. Objective: To assess the prevalence of premarital sex and associated factors among secondary school adolescent students in medhanealem school, from January to May 2017. Methods and Materials: A questionnaire based cross sectional study design was be used to conduct this study on 280 secondary school adolescent students in Medhanealem School from January to May 2017. The data was be processed and analyzed by using SPSS version20.0. Frequency distribution, charts, figures and tables was used to present the results. Results: The prevalence of premarital sex among the study participants was 31.1 %( 87) with the mean age of 17.1 and the maximum age 19 year and the minimum age 15 year. The premarital sex was strongly associated with grade level and their family income. Family monthly income and student grade level were found to have association. Grade nine students are 9.15 times risk to be involved in premarital sex than others (AOR=9.15, CI= (3.35 – 25.03)), grade ten students are 3.14 times high risk to be involved in premarital sex than other grade level students (AOR= 3.14, CI=(1.24 – 7.93)). And grade eleven students are 1.73 times risk to be involved in premarital sex than other grade level students (AOR= 1.73, CI= (0.67.2 – 4.46)). Conclusion: This study revealed that large number of school adolescents were engaged in sexual practice before marriage. The prevalence of premarital sex among the study participants is higher than the studies conducted in different parts of Ethiopia. Recommendation: Ministry of Health should establish adolescent clinic at school which provide Psychosexual counselling for the student and the schools should provide psychosexual services for adolescent students.