Sexuality Education and Contraception as Correlates of Sexual Behaviour among University Undergraduates

Abstract

Majority of the university undergraduates have the misconception that sexuality is equivalent to coitus and that contraception is for sexual workers  alone. This has been a major obstacle to the effective dissemination of knowledge in these areas. This study is therefore designed to critically look at the  influence of sexuality education and contraception on the sexual behaviour of university undergraduates with the hope of encouraging positive sexual  behaviour among them, especially in Nigeria. Ex- postfacto research type was adopted. The sample consisted of two hundred and forty participants  (Males; 100; 41.7%, Females; 140; 58.3%. Age ranges from 20-25 with mean age as 23years and a standard deviation of 4.23. All participants were from  intact families, drawn with simple random sampling technique from the four colleges of the university (Tai Solarin University of Education). Three valid  and reliable instruments constructed by the researchers were used for data collection; Sexuality Education Scale (r = 0.76), Contraception Scale (r = 0.74),  Sexual Behaviour Scale (r = 0.81). The administration lasted four weeks, using correlation analysis and multiple regression, the results show that sexuality  education and contraception jointly and relatively contributed to sexual behaviour of the participants. On the strength of this finding, the need to foster  sexuality education and contraception to enhance positive sexual behaviour was stressed and advocated.