Sexual behaviours of undergraduates of tertiary institutions in Kwara state

Abstract

Sexuality among youths has become a source of great concern due to its attendant effects. Thus, the objective of this study was to investigate the sexual behaviours of undergraduates of tertiary institutions in Kwara State. The study also examined whether or not variables of gender and school type had significant influence on the sexual behaviours of undergraduates of tertiary institutions in Kwara State. Descriptive survey research design was adopted for the study while purposive sampling and proportional stratified sampling techniques were used to draw a sample of 640 undergraduates of tertiary institutions in Kwara state. The main research instrument employed for data collection was “Sexual Behaviour of Undergraduates Questionnaire (SBUQ). The instrument was subjected to test re-test reliability technique and a coefficient of 0.65 was obtained. Four research questions were raised and three research hypotheses formulated and tested. Data collected were computed using frequency counts; percentages, t-test and Analysis of Variance (ANOVA). The hypotheses generated were tested at 0.05 alpha level. The main findings of the study indicated deep kissing with the opposite sex, sex activities for pleasure and manual stimulation as the main sexual behaviours of undergraduates of tertiary institutions in Kwara state, Nigeria. The study found a significant difference in the sexual behaviours of respondents on the basis of school type but no significant difference on the basis of gender. The implications of the findings are that undergraduates who engage in premarital sexual behaviours may be prone to STDs and other infectious diseases which could impact negatively on their family life. In line with the findings of the study, it was recommended that stakeholders, especially the school counsellors and teachers should provide guidance to students on developmental challenges and help youths to abstain from risky sexual behaviours. The study also stresses the need for regular sensitisation of undergraduates on positive attitude towards sex. Guidance and counselling units should be established in tertiary institutions so that guidance services can be provided on reproductive health.

Keywords: Sexual Behaviour, Adolescent, Undergraduates, Tertiary Institutions.