The negative impacts of adolescent sexuality problems among secondary school students in Oworonshoki Lagos

Abstract

This study was conducted to focus on the negative health outcomes related to sexual behaviour in adolescents 
and young adults attending public school in the Oworonshoki region of Lagos, Nigeria, Africa. Since, there is a 
relative dearth of knowledge on adolescents who face unique and challenging economics, health and education 
problems in our society. Data on the socio-demographic characteristics, prevalence and knowledge towards 
STD including HIV/AIDS, prevalence of sexual abuse practice/sexual behaviour, family planning awareness and 
acceptance including abortion practice were sorted out using self structured questionnaires and administered 
to 60% of student’s population using a stratified random sampling technique. 55.8% lived with both parents. 
While, 50.3% of the mothers had basic secondary school qualifications, 72.4% of them are traders. 61.5% had 
sex education were from misinformed friends/peers while 51% had no basic knowledge about sexual behavioral 
practice and attitude towards STDs/AIDS (HIV). STD has a prevalence of 34 and 41% of boys used condoms for 
preventing STI/HIV transmission and unwanted pregnancies. One out of every five sexually active teenagers has 
experienced forced sex, especially among the circumcised girls who were more sexually active than the 
uncircumcised girls. 60% of girls between ages of 12 and 18 years had more than one unsafe abortion with 
severe vaginal bleeding (haemorrhage) as the chief complication. However, 65% of the girls did abortion for fear 
of leaving school and financial hardship as the reasons.