Perception and practice of premarital sex and contraception among first year undergraduate students of a tertiary institution, South-South, Nigeria

The reproductive health of adolescents and young women is integral to the wellbeing of a society. This study was carried out to determine current sexual practices and contraceptive usage among female undergraduate students in a South-south, Nigerian tertiary institution. Methods: It was a cross-sectional questionnaire based survey of first year female university undergraduates. Pre-tested questionnaire was used to elicit information on socio-demographic variables and sexual and contraceptive practices. Descriptive statistics was used and SPSS software version 20.0 was used for analysis.

Results: Among the 200 students sampled, 186 completed the questionnaire. One hundred and twenty (64.5%) students were currently sexually active. The mean age of sexual debut was 19.3 years. Most had one sexual partner 72(60%). Sources of Information on reproductive health was in the main from the mothers (48.4%) with information from teachers accounting for only 9.7%. The contraceptive method mostly in use was the male condom (30.6%). Virtually all the respondents knew about HIV/AIDS (98.4%).

Conclusion: There is a high level of sexual activity and low contraceptive use among female undergraduate students in South-South Nigeria. More reproductive health education and promotion is necessary to safeguard their sexual health.