International Journal of HIV/AIDS Prevention, Education and Behavioural Science

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Assessment of Risky Sexual Behaviors Among University Students in Kigali, Rwanda

Received: 17 October 2019    Accepted: 25 November 2019    Published: 04 December 2019
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Abstract

Risky sexual behaviors (RSB) remain a public health concern among university students who are considered as key population for a nation’s economic development. The aim of this study was to determine the proportion of sexually active students, RSB and their associated factors among students from two selected universities in Kigali. We employed a cross sectional study with data collection using a pre-tested questionnaire. IBM SPSS version 21 was employed for data analysis. Chi-square test was used to assess association between RSB and explanatory factors assuming a 95% confidence interval, 5% margin of error and statistical significance at P value less than 0.05. A total 269 university students with almost equal representation of both males and females, 49.8% and 50.2%, respectively were enrolled. Of these 269, 68.4% were sexually active during the period of data collection. RSB reported among university students include having multiple sexual partners with an average number of life sexual partners of 3.5, having at least one other sexual partner out of marriage (21%), paying for sex (16%), receiving payment for sex (10%), having unprotected sex with only 15% of them using always using condoms with risk sexual partners and only 6% using condoms while drunk or after using drugs. RSB were more common among younger aged (between 20 and 26 years old) with peak at 23 years old, unmarried (12.6%), widowed (50%), cohabitating (41.2%), prenuptial sex (22%) groups. Findings also revealed that working students, with self-employment or professional employment, are likely to engage in sexual activity after taking drugs or alcohol. All in all, RSB are still a major problem among university students. This calls for a review of current interventions addressing sexual health among this population. There is also a need for further studies with larger sample sizes.

DOI 10.11648/j.ijhpebs.20190502.19
Published in International Journal of HIV/AIDS Prevention, Education and Behavioural Science (Volume 5, Issue 2, December 2019)
Page(s) 141-146
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2024. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Risky Sexual Behaviors, University Students, Early Sexual Debut

References
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[5] Tariku Dingeta, Lemessa Oljira NA. Patterns of sexual risk behavior among undergraduate university students in Ethiopia: a cross-sectional study. Pan African Med Journal [Internet]. 2019; I: 1-7. Available from: https://www.panafrican-med-journal.com/content/article/12/33/full/.
[6] Peltzer K, Pengpid S, Peltzer K, Pengpid S. Early Sexual Debut and Associated Factors among In-school Adolescents in Six La Iniciación Sexual a Edades Tempranas y Sus Factores Asociados entre los Adoles- centes de Escuelas en Seis Países del Caribe. 2015; 64 (4). Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4909066/https://doi.org/10.7727/wimj.2014.025.
[7] Omoteso BA. A Study of the Sexual Behaviour of University Undergraduate Students in Southwestern Nigeria. 2006; 12 (2): 129-33. Available from: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.476.493&rep=rep1&type=pdfhttps://doi.org/10.1080/09718923.2006.11978380/.
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[9] Shiferaw Y, Alemu A, Assefa A, Tesfaye B, Gibermedhin E, Amare M. Perception of risk of HIV and sexual risk behaviors among University students: implication for planning interventions. BMC Res Notes [Internet]. 2014; Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3974211/https://doi.org/10.1186/1756-0500-7-162.
[10] Saad A, Awaisu A, Rampal L, Sabitu K, Lawal A, Gwarzo U. HIV-related sexual risk behaviors among university students in Northern Nigeria. Int J Infect Dis [Internet]. 2014; 21: 108. Available from: https://www.ijidonline.com/article/S1201-9712(14)00710-3/pdfhttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijid.2014.03.651.
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Author Information
  • College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Rwanda, Kigali, Rwanda

  • Department of Public Health, Mount Kenya University, Kigali, Rwanda

  • Department of Public Health, Mount Kenya University, Kigali, Rwanda

  • College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Rwanda, Kigali, Rwanda; Department of Public Health, Mount Kenya University, Kigali, Rwanda

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    Gashema Pierre, Ariane Umutoni, Zephanie Nzeyimana, Tafadzwa Dzinamarira. (2019). Assessment of Risky Sexual Behaviors Among University Students in Kigali, Rwanda. International Journal of HIV/AIDS Prevention, Education and Behavioural Science, 5(2), 141-146. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijhpebs.20190502.19

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    ACS Style

    Gashema Pierre; Ariane Umutoni; Zephanie Nzeyimana; Tafadzwa Dzinamarira. Assessment of Risky Sexual Behaviors Among University Students in Kigali, Rwanda. Int. J. HIV/AIDS Prev. Educ. Behav. Sci. 2019, 5(2), 141-146. doi: 10.11648/j.ijhpebs.20190502.19

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    AMA Style

    Gashema Pierre, Ariane Umutoni, Zephanie Nzeyimana, Tafadzwa Dzinamarira. Assessment of Risky Sexual Behaviors Among University Students in Kigali, Rwanda. Int J HIV/AIDS Prev Educ Behav Sci. 2019;5(2):141-146. doi: 10.11648/j.ijhpebs.20190502.19

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  • @article{10.11648/j.ijhpebs.20190502.19,
      author = {Gashema Pierre and Ariane Umutoni and Zephanie Nzeyimana and Tafadzwa Dzinamarira},
      title = {Assessment of Risky Sexual Behaviors Among University Students in Kigali, Rwanda},
      journal = {International Journal of HIV/AIDS Prevention, Education and Behavioural Science},
      volume = {5},
      number = {2},
      pages = {141-146},
      doi = {10.11648/j.ijhpebs.20190502.19},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijhpebs.20190502.19},
      eprint = {https://download.sciencepg.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ijhpebs.20190502.19},
      abstract = {Risky sexual behaviors (RSB) remain a public health concern among university students who are considered as key population for a nation’s economic development. The aim of this study was to determine the proportion of sexually active students, RSB and their associated factors among students from two selected universities in Kigali. We employed a cross sectional study with data collection using a pre-tested questionnaire. IBM SPSS version 21 was employed for data analysis. Chi-square test was used to assess association between RSB and explanatory factors assuming a 95% confidence interval, 5% margin of error and statistical significance at P value less than 0.05. A total 269 university students with almost equal representation of both males and females, 49.8% and 50.2%, respectively were enrolled. Of these 269, 68.4% were sexually active during the period of data collection. RSB reported among university students include having multiple sexual partners with an average number of life sexual partners of 3.5, having at least one other sexual partner out of marriage (21%), paying for sex (16%), receiving payment for sex (10%), having unprotected sex with only 15% of them using always using condoms with risk sexual partners and only 6% using condoms while drunk or after using drugs. RSB were more common among younger aged (between 20 and 26 years old) with peak at 23 years old, unmarried (12.6%), widowed (50%), cohabitating (41.2%), prenuptial sex (22%) groups. Findings also revealed that working students, with self-employment or professional employment, are likely to engage in sexual activity after taking drugs or alcohol. All in all, RSB are still a major problem among university students. This calls for a review of current interventions addressing sexual health among this population. There is also a need for further studies with larger sample sizes.},
     year = {2019}
    }
    

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    T1  - Assessment of Risky Sexual Behaviors Among University Students in Kigali, Rwanda
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    AU  - Zephanie Nzeyimana
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    AB  - Risky sexual behaviors (RSB) remain a public health concern among university students who are considered as key population for a nation’s economic development. The aim of this study was to determine the proportion of sexually active students, RSB and their associated factors among students from two selected universities in Kigali. We employed a cross sectional study with data collection using a pre-tested questionnaire. IBM SPSS version 21 was employed for data analysis. Chi-square test was used to assess association between RSB and explanatory factors assuming a 95% confidence interval, 5% margin of error and statistical significance at P value less than 0.05. A total 269 university students with almost equal representation of both males and females, 49.8% and 50.2%, respectively were enrolled. Of these 269, 68.4% were sexually active during the period of data collection. RSB reported among university students include having multiple sexual partners with an average number of life sexual partners of 3.5, having at least one other sexual partner out of marriage (21%), paying for sex (16%), receiving payment for sex (10%), having unprotected sex with only 15% of them using always using condoms with risk sexual partners and only 6% using condoms while drunk or after using drugs. RSB were more common among younger aged (between 20 and 26 years old) with peak at 23 years old, unmarried (12.6%), widowed (50%), cohabitating (41.2%), prenuptial sex (22%) groups. Findings also revealed that working students, with self-employment or professional employment, are likely to engage in sexual activity after taking drugs or alcohol. All in all, RSB are still a major problem among university students. This calls for a review of current interventions addressing sexual health among this population. There is also a need for further studies with larger sample sizes.
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