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CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

Background of the Study

Sexual behaviour is a form of physical intimacy that may be directed to reproduction (one possible goal of sexual intercourse), spiritual transcendence, and/or the enjoyment of any activity involving sexual gratification (Wikipedia, 2005). Behaviour refers to the actions or reactions of an object or organism usually in relation to the environment (Wikipaedia, 2006). It was further noted that behaviour can be conscious or unconscious, overt or covert, and voluntary or involuntary. Human behaviour is the most basic human action and can be common, unusual, acceptable and unacceptable.
Health South Australia (2009) stated various types of sexual behaviour as follows, abstinence, masturbation, coitus, anal sex, oral sex, prostitution, transvestism (use of clothing of opposite sex for sexual gratification) and transsexualism (a disorder of gender identity in which the individual wishes to be or feels that he or she is a member of the opposite sex). This study will concentrate on sexual behaviours that could result to sexually transmitted infections.
The term adolescence comes from the Latin verb adolescere, which means “to grow up” or “to grow to maturity. It means somewhat more than the physiological development implied by the original Latin

verb (Dusek, 1977). Adolescence is the bridge between childhood and adulthood. Dusek further noted that it is the transition from childhood to adulthood, the stage in which the individual is required to adapt and adjust childhood behaviours to the adult forms that are considered acceptable in his or her culture.
Decey and Kenny (1994) in their explanation of adolescents are of the view that adolescents’ fall within the age range of 10 to 19 years. World Health Organization (WHO) (2003) defined adolescence both in terms of age (spanning the ages of 10 to 19 years) and in terms of phase of life by special attributes. These attributes include rapid physical growth and development, physiological, social and psychological maturity, but not all at the same time. According to WHO (2003), there is Sexual maturity and the onset of sexual activity, experimentation, development of adult mental process and adult identity as well as transition from total socio-economic dependence to relative independence. WHO/United Nations Fund for Population Activities (UNFPA)/United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) (1989) are of the view that adolescence is the period between childhood and adulthood and includes those between 10 and 19 years.
According to Wikipedia (2005), correlate is a causal, complementary, parallel, or reciprocal relationship, especially a structural, functional or quality correspondence between two comparable

entities; for example, a correlation between drug abuse and crime. Wikipedia further noted that it is used to predict the value of one variable given the value of the other. Houghton (2007) stated that correlate is to put or bring into causal, complementary, parallel or reciprocal relation and further noted that in brief, it is to put in or have some relation or connection. Furthermore, correlate was defined as causal, complementary, parallel, or reciprocal relationship and was explained as being connected either logically or causally or by shared characteristics or either of two interrelated things, especially if one implies the other (Houghton, 1995; Webster, 2009 & Martin, 2009).
Flay (2002) stated that all behaviours, not just problem behaviours, are related to each other. They are correlated and they also cause each other. Brian, Flay, Dphil, FSBM, and FAAHB (2002) pointed out that the linkages between alcohol or drug use and both violence and sexual behaviour among adolescents were clear. The authors further noted that about a third of the youth that committed serious crimes consumed alcohol just before the offense. The authors further pointed out that more than 70 per cent of teen suicides involved frequent use of alcohol or drugs and nearly 40 per cent of drowning involved the use of alcohol. Studies have shown that alcohol and drug use were the best predictors of early sexual activity and were associated with more unplanned pregnancies, more sexually transmitted diseases, more HIV

infections, and greater school dropout than any other factor (Code, 1992; HHS Youth & Alcohol, 1992; Reis & Roth, 1993; Eron, Gentry & Schlegel, 1994; Levine & Rosich, 1996; Healthy Youth, 2000; & Poulin & Graham, 2001).
Sharma (2003) reported that adolescents practice a wide variety of sexual behaviours. The commonest of them is masturbation. Mutual masturbation among same sex adolescents is also common. Other forms of sexual behaviour include necking and petting, which are physical contacts in an attempt to produce erotic arousals without sexual intercourse. Sometimes petting and necking can also lead to orgasm. Heterosexual intercourse, lesbianism and homosexual relations are some other forms of sexual behaviour practiced by some adolescents (Sharma, 2003). Sharma further noted that among the sexually active adolescents one may observe that many have single partners; others have multiple partners at a time. Many adolescents, according to Sharma, entered into a sporadic sexual activity and then kept away from sex while others indulged in sexual activities regularly. Sharma (2003) further stated that one can rightly say that information about safer-sex practice and its usage is far below optimum levels among sexually active adolescents.
Obiajuru (2000) observed that some adolescents were exposed to sexual risk behaviours like having casual sex with unknown partners, having multiple sex partners, anal sex, oral sex, non compliance to the

use of condom during sexual intercourse, homosexuality and lesbianism. Among all these also are the watching of pornographic films, collecting money in exchange for sex and having group sex. Doedens (2000); FMOH (2001); Garofalo, Cameron, Wolf, kessel, and Durant (1998) & Sharma (2003) noted that there is alarming increase of exposure to risky sexual behaviours among the adolescents not considering the consequences like pregnancy, abortion, STIs including HIV/AIDS.
Infections transmitted from one person to another through sexual intercourse are referred to as sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Sexually transmitted infections constitute a serious and sometimes deadly group of infectious diseases especially Human Immune Virus /Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (HIV/AIDS).
In an uninformed or a deviant in sexual behaviour, there are two undesirable consequences such as disease and/or pregnancy (Hanlon & Pickett, 1979). The authors further reported that the present epidemic of STIs among adolescents is of serious dimensions. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2002) stated that the number of conception in unmarried female adolescents is unknown. It is estimated that each year approximately 10 per cent of all adolescent girls become pregnant, the majority out of wedlock. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention further reported more than 300,000 teenage abortions in 1976 and about

600,000 pregnancies that were carried to term in the United States of America.
Slap, Lot, Huang, Daniyam, Zink, and Succop (2003) observed that family polygamy and lower educational level of parents were associated with increased sexual activity among adolescents. The proportions of students reporting sexual activity were 42.3 per cent in students from polygamous families and 27.5 per cent in students from monogamous families (Slap et al., 2003). United Nations programme on Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (UNAIDS) and WHO (2000) reported that Nigeria’s birth rate for adolescents is one of the highest in the world and the prevalence among female adolescents in Nigeria of STIs including HIV, is climbing rapidly.
Nigerian Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) (1990) reported that the median age at first sexual intercourse was 16.6years while about one third of the women had their first sexual intercourse at the age of 15years. In an effort to reduce its high maternal and infant mortality and higher rate of sexually transmitted infections and dropout from school, Nigeria developed a National Reproductive Health Policy in 2000 that focuses on preventing risky sexual behaviours during adolescence.
The programme, according to UNAIDS and WHO (2000), has been hampered by outdated and incomplete information on the sexual

knowledge, attitudes and behaviours of the adolescents in Nigeria. The importance of clarifying needs before intervening is highlighted by the recent evaluation of sex education intervention in Nigeria and Ghana (Brieger, Delano, Lane, Oladepo & Oyediran, 2001). The evaluation showed that the programme was effective for young people in school but not for young people out of school because of differences in sexual experience and knowledge. Sexual activity was less common among female than male students, less common among female students attending female only boarding schools than other schools, 7.7 per cent versus 24.3 per cent and less common among students living in urban than in rural locations. Allan Guttmacher Institute (2001) and Kirby (2001) reported that the sexual health needs of young people in Nigeria are high, as evidenced by the prevalence of pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases including HIV/AIDS.
Temin, Okonofua, Omorodion, Renne, Coplan, Heggenhougen et al. (1999) observed that students noted that having multiple partners and engaging in unprotected sex with unknown partners were high risk behaviours but did not acknowledge the potential health risks of sexual intercourse with a regular known partner. Temin et al. further observed that the adolescents’ perception of risk does not necessarily translate into safe behaviour. Regardless about risks, students described attitudes that

discourage safe sexual behaviour and there was also low utilization of reproductive health services (Temin et al., 1999).
From the above background, it becomes obvious that some adolescents take for granted their high-risk sexual behaviours in relation to high prevalence of STIs. The trend and consequences of adolescents’ exposure to sexual risk behaviours have raised crisis among the adolescents. Efforts being made to curb the sexual revolution and these risky sexual behaviours seem to yield little positive result. It is on the basis of the above that this research work has been designed to find out the socio-demographic correlates of sexual behaviours of the adolescents in Imo State.

Statement of the Problem

The ideal sexual behaviour of the adolescents should be sexual abstinence, safe sex practice, and avoidance of illegal drugs and alcohol which influence sexual behaviours, but this appears not to be the practice. There is rising incidence of exposure to sexual risk behaviours by the adolescents within the age range of 10-19 years (Doedens 2000, Sharma 2003, Temin et al; 1999).
Watney (1987) stated that adolescents’ sexual activities were clearly not and never had been without risks. There are inherent dangers of unplanned pregnancy, dropping out of school, unsafe abortion and

sexually transmitted infections/HIV/AIDS which are the major implications of sexual risk behaviours considering the grave consequences (Hadey, 1997; Nicholl, Catchpole, Cliff, Hughes, Simms & Thomas, 1999). In view of the fact that the number of cases of STIs/HIV/AIDS have been on the increase all over the world due to increased sexual activities among the adolescents (Getcell, Pippin & Varnes, 1991); and Nigerian government is also interested in controlling STIs/HIV/AIDS among adolescents through the control of their sexual behaviours, Nigeria hence formulated the National Reproductive Health Policy and Strategies to achieve quality reproductive and sexual health for all Nigerians (FMOH, 2001). Unfortunately, despite all these ongoing efforts, some adolescents still practice risky sexual behaviours as they in the last decade (1980-89) have developed a widely held sense that they are entitled to have sex (Williams, 1989).
There is need therefore; to identify the socio-demographic correlates of perceived sexual behaviours of the adolescents in order to formulate strategies to tackle the problem from the root. However, data on socio-demographic variables influencing the sexual behaviours of the adolescents exist in different parts of the world and few are available in other geopolitical areas of Nigeria (Temin et al., 1999; Anochie & Ikpeme, 2001; Ajuwon et al., 2001; Ibe & Ikechebelu, 2002 & Ibe & Agu 2006 ). Unfortunately, no empirical data has been identified in Imo state

which has a different socio-economic and cultural background with HIV/AIDS prevalence of 3.05 per cent (Obiajuru & Ogbulie, 2007), hence the researcher was motivated to identify the socio-demographic correlates of sexual behaviours of the adolescents in Imo State. The problem of this study therefore, is the increase in the risky sexual behaviours; birth rate; STIs/HIV/AIDS among the adolescents and lack of empirical data on socio-demographic correlates of perceived sexual behaviours of adolescents in Imo State.