Factors affecting risky sexual behavior of participating adolescents of the ENSACA/UNICEF ADOKITS Stepdown/Rollout Program

Abstract

Adolescents and young adulthood are periods of development and change involving experimentation and adaptation of new roles and behaviors. The Adolescents Kits ADOKITS Program by Enugu State Agency for the Control of AIDS (ENSACA) kin partnership with United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) is a training of adolescents on several innovations, skills and competencies that help them to cope with stressful circumstances, build healthy relationships, and engage positively with their communities. To assess factors (sexual abuse, gender and peer influence) that affect adolescents’ risky sexual behavior. The study population was adolescents from communities and Local Government Areas hosting the ENSACA/UNICEF ADOKITS Program. It was a cross-sectional study. One hundred and thirty-eight (55.4%) of respondents did not practice risky sexual behavior while 28 (11.2%) of respondents practiced high-risk sexual behaviors. A statistically significant relationship exists between sexual abuse, gender; peer pressure and risky sexual behavior p=0.007. Sexual abuse, gender and peer pressure all strongly contribute to sexual risk behavior. There is a need to emphasize continued enlightenment, health education and awareness creation on sexual/ reproductive health among adolescents such as the UNICEF/ENSACA ADOKITS program pursues.