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Factors Associated with Early Sexual involvement among Adolescents attending to Out Patient Department Wakiso Health Centre IV in Wakiso

Barbara, Maliza Nyapendi

Department of Medicine and Surgery, Kampala International University, Uganda

ABSTRACT

Early sexual involvement refers to having had first sexual intercourse at or below the age of 15years. Early involvement in Sexual activities is a global problem and creates issues for all those concerned about adolescents and their health and well-being. This study assessed for factors associated with early sexual involvement in Sexual activities among adolescents attending Out Patient Department Wakiso Health Center IV, Wakiso District. The specific objectives were to determine the Socio demographic factors associated with early sexual involvement in Sexual activities, to determine the socioeconomic factors associated with early sexual involvement in Sexual activities and to determine the effects of early sexual involvement in Sexual activities among adolescents attending to Out Patient Department Wakiso Health Center IV, Wakiso district. A descriptive cross-sectional study conducted at Wakiso Health Center IV, Wakiso District. The researcher utilized Convenience sampling on 100 respondents using self-administered questionnaires which were filled collected and data analyzed using tables. Based on the findings of the study, age and religion significantly affected the early involvement in Sexual activities among adolescents. Poverty and lack of financial support from parents and relatives led many adolescents to involve in early Sexual activities in search for money to purchase their needs. Unwanted pregnancy (90%) and STI/HIV (70%) were the most significant effects of early involvement in Sexual activities. Parents / guardians should be sensitized about the need to communicate and acquire ways of approach to convey sexual related matters to their children in order to safe guard the adolescents. Strong measures to provide access to improve economic security and reduce levels of poverty among young people should be put in place.

Keyword: Early Sexual involvement, Adolescents, Out Patient, Department, Wakiso Health Centre IV.

INTRODUCTION

Early sexual intercourse is defined as intercourse initiated before the age of fifteen years [1]. The World Health Organization (WHO) describes adolescents as young people who are between the age of 10 and 19. This developmental stage of adolescence is characterized by emotional, physical, mental as well as psychosocial development [1]. Adolescence period occurs between 10-19years and it is divided into three stages namely early adolescence (10-13) year, middle adolescence (14-17) years, late adolescence (18- 20) years of age [2].Globally, early adolescent sexual activity remains a recurring public health issue [3]. A study in northern Europe and North America showed that 50% of women have reported sexual contact by the age of 17 and this percentage is increased 70% by age of 20 [4]. In USA, teenagers aged 15 to 19 and young adults aged 20 and 24 years accounted for the most reported cases of chlamydia and Gonorrhea; over 34,000 young people aged 13 to 24years were estimated to be living with HIV/AIDS and most of them were infected through sexual contact [5]. In Sub Saharan Africa, nearly 60% of young women and 45% of young men have had sex before age of 18 (Rob Stephen et al., 2014). Young people in sub-Saharan Africa face various sexual and reproductive health risks such as unplanned pregnancy and sexually-transmitted infections (STIs), including HIV infection and this is a result of early sexual involvement among adolescents [6]. Also, in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), an estimated 45% of the pregnancies among young women age15–19 are unintended resulting in unintended births, unsafe abortions and miscarriages [7].

It was quoted in soft power news that adolescents make up 34.8% of Uganda’s total population, but statistics provided by ministry of health indicate that 25% of the adolescent girls and young women aged between 15 and 19 are pregnant or already mothers, 25%of girls under the age of 19 in Uganda have given birth and this is the highest in the region compared to Kenya and Rwanda Addressing adolescent sexual and reproductive health needs in Uganda is especially important, as a growing number of young people are sexually active.

According to the study area, the phenomenon of early sexual initiation among adolescents is a major contributory factor to these negative social and behavioral outcomes teenage pregnancies, substance abuse, sexually transmitted diseases [8], [9], [10]. In addition, 40% of the clients who deliver from the health facility are teenage mothers (The OPD and MCH department records October 2018).

However, no study has been carried out in Wakiso HCIV, Wakiso district to establish the factors associated with early sexual involvement among adolescents and basing on the situation where there are raised teenage pregnancies, STIs and early marriages among adolescents, the researcher was convinced to carry out the study to establish the prevailing factors associated with early sexual involvement among the adolescents.

CONCLUSION

The study established that the demographic factors that influenced early sexual practice significantly were age, gender and religion while tribe of the respondent less significantly affected the early involvement of adolescents into sexual activities. The study findings indicated that poverty and low level of education attained were the major socioeconomic factors that led to early sexual involvement among adolescents. Based on the study findings unwanted pregnancy and sexually transmitted Infections were the major effects of early involvement in Sexual activities among adolescents.

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Barbara, Maliza Nyapendi (2023).Factors Associated with Early Sexual involvement among Adolescents attending to Out Patient Department Wakiso Health Centre IV in Wakiso. IDOSR JOURNAL OF APPLIED SCIENCES 8(3) 73-84. https://doi.org/10.59298/IDOSR/2023/10.2.1415

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