Parental Influence on Adolescent Sexual Initiation Practices in Ibadan, Nigeria

Abstract

This community-based study was carried out to determine parental role on adolescents' sexual initiation practice in Ibadan, Nigeria. A random sample of 274 adolescents was selected from the community. Information on socio-demographic characteristics and sexual behaviors were collected using a structured close-ended self-administered questionnaire. A total of 40.5% of the adolescents in the sample were sexually experienced. Early exposure to sex education by mothers was found to encourage early sexual initiation ( p < 0.001). Significantly more adolescents (43.2%) who sought sexual information from their peers were sexually experienced compared with 25.2%, 14.4%, and 17.1% of those who sought information from parents, teachers, and other sources such as media, religious centers, etc., respectively ( p = 0.004). Mothers were more involved in sexuality communication with these adolescents than fathers (40.9% vs. 16.8%). The higher the level of education of the parents, the less likely the adolescents were sexually initiated ( p = 0.004). Furthermore, polygamous family background and loss of one or more parents were found to be associated with early sexual initiation practice ( p = 0.008 and 0.009, respectively). The study shows an increased sexual initiation with parental illiteracy, polygamy, and parental deaths among adolescents in Ibadan, Nigeria.