Epidemiology of Sexual Behaviour with Risk of Sexually Transmissible Infection (STI) among Students in Africa: The Case of the University of Ouagadougou

Abstract

Objective: To study the sexual risk behaviors and their determining role in sexually transmissible infection (STI) and HIV among students of the University of Ouagadougou. Methodology: It was a descriptive and analytical single pass cross-sectional study from June 22 to July 21 2010 at the University of Ouagadougou. A cluster sampling in two stages was adopted to form a population of 762. Data were collected using a standardized written questionnaire completed by individual interview after informed consent. Results: The average age of students was 24.2 ± 2 years old for men and 23.7 ± 2 years old women. Singles represented 95.1% of students. The students were not scholarship grantees in 90.6% of the sample. Knowledge about STIs was average in 60.2% of cases. In total 33.65% of the students admitted to having had multiple sexual partners, 19.57% had sex with prostitutes, 34.62% had unprotected sex, 4% practiced sodomy without condoms and 3.1% of students had sex in group with one partner. In multivariate analysis, male gender was the determining factor associated with multiple sexual partner (OR = 3.30 95% CI = 2.19 to 4.95) and relations with prostitutes with an odds ratio of 16.13 (95 = 6.87% to 37.8%). The female gender was the determining factor associated with not using a condom with odds ratio of 1.5 (95% CI = 1.01 to 2.16). Conclusion: There are many risk behaviors for HIV transmission among students of the University of Ouagadougou. The urgent implementation of specific prevention programs to benefit this population is essential. * Corresponding author. C. M. R. Ouedraogo et al. 220 KeywordsRisks Sexual Behavior, Student, Ouagadougou

Risky sexual behaviours among young adults attending Higher Learning Institutions in Mbeya, Tanzania: implications for STIs and HIV preventive programs

“…There have been reports of women initiating sex earlier than their male age-mates 25 ; this was not a finding in this study, where men reported earlier sexual debut than women. The mean age of sexual debut was 18.4 years supporting findings from other studies in Tanzania and studies conducted among University students in Eastern and Western Africa that have shown that the age at sexual debut has increased over time in SSA 18 – 20 , 25 , 28 , 29 . Being in a position to attain higher level education may be protective in a way that these students have been exposed to a number of SRH classes on the importance of delaying sex and unwanted pregnancies during secondary school years, but also being under parent/teacher supervision they have restricted time for sexual relations.…”

“…In West Africa, Ouedraogo et. al reported the prevalence of forced sex to be 11.9% by a partner 28 . Students reporting forced sex with a regular partner could probably be those engaging in transactional or cross-generational sex.…”

Risky sexual behaviours among young adults attending Higher Learning Institutions in Mbeya, Tanzania: implications for STIs and HIV preventive programs

“…Studies have reported on females initiating sex earlier than their male age-mates 26 ; this was not a finding in this study, where men reported earlier sexual debut than women. The mean age of sexual debut was 18.4 years supporting findings from other studies in Tanzania and studies conducted among University students in Eastern and Western Africa that have shown that the age at sexual debut has increased over time in SSA [18][19][20][26][27][28] .…”

“…In West Africa, Ouedraogo et. al reported the prevalence of forced sex to be 11.9% by a partner 27 . Students reporting forced sex with a regular partner could probably be those engaging in transactional or cross-generational sex.…”