Knowledge, Health Consequences and Associated Risk Factors of Premarital Sexual Practice among University Students (15-24years) in Molyko Buea, Cameroon
Keywords:
Premarital sex, Prevalence, Health consequences, Risk factors, University studentsAbstract
Background: Pre-marital sex is any sexual activities with an opposite sex partner or a same sex before he/she has started a marriage life. The term is usually used to refer the inter course before the legal age of marriage. In the course of experimentation, adolescents often in counter high risk situation, as contracting STD /HIV/AIDS and often exposed to un intended pregnancy and illicit abortions.
Objective: This study aimed to determine the prevalence of premarital sexual practice, knowledge, health consequences and associated risk factors among university students (15-24 years) leaving in Molyko Buea Cameroon.
Materials/Methods: A cross-sectional community based analytic study was carried among 562 University students from January 2023 to April 2023 in Molyko Buea Cameroon. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data from participants, Data was analyzed in SPSS version 27.
Results: Out of the 562 participants about 422 (75.1%) had an overall good knowledge on premarital sexual practice. As health consequence, 80 of them (14.8%) had been infected with STDS, 188(35.1%) had been medically screened for STDs with 66(35.1%) having a positive test result, 85(15.5%) had been pregnant, 39 participants that committed abortion 56(65.9%) drop out of school due to the pregnancy. Factors like alcohol consumers [ AOR= 2.071 (95%Cl: 1.03-4.18, p=0.042)], shisha [AOR= 4.282 (95%Cl: 1.584-11.578, p=0.004)], Multiple sexual partners [AOR = 12.723 (95%Cl :3.49-46.35, p=0.001)], boyfriend/girlfriend [AOR= 2.312 (95%Cl :1.12-4.76, p=0.023)], Age group 22 / 24 years [AOR=17.683 (95%CI: 6.11-51.19, p=0.001)]. Conclusion: Majority of the participants had an overall good knowledge on premarital sexual practice and affected vastly by STDs, pregnancies and abortion. Alcohol consumers, shisha smokers, boyfriend/girlfriend, age group 22-24 and multiple sex partners were significantly associated premarital sexual practices.
