Abstract
The
purpose of the study was to find out the patterns of unsafe sexual attitude and
practices among students of tertiary institutions in Nasarawa state. To achieve
the purpose of this study, eight specific objectives with corresponding
research questions were posed and eight null hypotheses postulated. Descriptive
survey research design was used for the study. The population for the study was
27,879 students while multi-stage sampling procedure was used to draw a sample
of 696 students for the study. The instruments used for the data collection was
the 31 item researcher design questionnaire called unsafe sexual attitudes and
practices questionnaire (PUSAPQ) and the focus group discussion guide(FGD). The
research questions were answered using means and percentages while null
hypotheses were tested using the t-Tests, ANOVA and Chi-square statistics. The
following results were obtained: The students exhibited negative attitudes
towards unsafe sex ( =2.45 < 2.50) while overall 24.9% practiced unsafe sex.
Both male and female students indicated negative attitude towards unsafe sex
with male slightly higher than female students (male = 2.49 > female
2.38). Male students aged 23 – 26 years indicated positive attitudes towards
unsafe sex (2.51) and negative for 27 years+. Slightly higher proportion of
student age 27 years+ and 15 – 18 years practiced unsafe sex than other age
groups 19 – 22 years and 23 – 26 years. Male practiced unsafe sex more than
female counterparts (male = 29.9% > female = 27.5%). On-campus and off-campus
student demonstrated negative attitude (on-campus = 2.49 > off-campus
= 2.42) while a higher proportion of on-campus students practiced unsafe sexual
practices than off-campus students (on-campus = 33.6% > off-campus 26.7%).
Student exhibited unsafe attitudes during academic session (=2.45) and weekends ( = 2.45) than during holidays (2.40) and festivities ( = 2.38) while a higher proportion of students practiced
unsafe sexual attitudes during weekends (42.9%), than holidays (34.8%), festive
periods (30.5%), academic session (25.7%) rainy and dry season (21.2%) and
(18.9%) respectively. Based on the findings and conclusions the researcher recommended
among others the incorporation of comprehensive sexuality education in general
studies courses in all the tertiary institutions in the state.
CHAPTER ONE
Introduction
Background to the Study
The globe is awash with expressions of increasing concerns about a world under threat of diseases, especially, communicable diseases of sexuality through unsafe sexual attitudes and practices. The continued decimation of population through afflictions and spread of diseases appears to compete favourably with continued flow of natural disasters and wars (Campbell, 2009). According to Park (2010) unsafe sexual attitudes and practices have reportedly reached alarming prevalence in several countries especially sub-Sahara Africa.
           Globally, excluding HIV and AIDS there are about 333 million new cases of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) per year (Afsar, Mahmood, Kaddir, Barrey Bilgramir 2005) United Population Fund UNPF, (2007) reported that young people world-wide are at the centre of HIV and AIDS epidemic in terms of rate of infection and vulnerability. Out of about 1.5 billion people world-wide, 11.8 million were estimated to be living with HIV and AIDS and everyday between 5,000-6000 young people aged 15-24 years contract HIV.    Sexually transmitted infections (STIs), HIV and AIDS is a devastating human tragedy and the greatest humanitarian challenge of our time. The pandemic is still a complex public health problem in sub-Saharan Africa which accounts for more than 65 percent of  STIs and HIV infections worldwide (UNAIDS & WHO, 2009). This has been a painful reality, with noticeable impact on families, communities and the society at large. There has been an intense debate in the last two decades on the relative roles of unsafe sex and unsafe health care on STIs and HIV spread in Sub- Saharan Africa, but most public health experts believe that unsafe sexual behaviors (unprotected sex and multiple and concurrent sex partners) are the mechanism through which STIs and HIV is spreading in the region (Halperin and Epstein, 2007; Leclerc- Madlala, 2008). According to these authors, multiple sexual partnerships—particularly overlapping or concurrent partnerships—by both men and women lie at the root of the persistence or the severity of the STIs and HIV epidemic in sub-Saharan Africa.
The Nigeria national HIV prevalence rate had steadily increased from 1.8 per cent in 1991 to 5.8 per cent in 2001 with a decline to 5.0 per cent in 2003 and 4.4 per cent in 2005 (Sentinel Survey, 2005). However, there is wide variation in the prevalence rate across age groups, geographic locations and occupations. Fifteen states of Nigeria have HIV prevalence rates above the national average of 4.4 per cent with Benue State having the highest prevalence rate of 10 per cent, while Jigawa, Ekiti and Oyo states have the least prevalence rates of less than 2.1 per cent (UNAIDS, 2007). Furthermore, a prevalence rate of 5.2 per cent was reported for the age group 15-24 years, with adolescent girls being three times more vulnerable than boys. The infections burden among others includes hepatitis B, trichonomasis, genital herps, genital warts syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia, genital herpes, pelvic inflammation disease (PID). Most of these diseases are asymptomatic in women can lead to sterility if not treated (Lucas & Gilles, 2003). Laksaman (2003) opined that students of Nigerian tertiary institutions seem to continue to engage more in unsafe sex practices such as pre-marital sex, homosexuality, having multiple sexual partners and abortion more than ever before, perhaps because of their liberal sexual attitudes. Odu (2008) revealed that most students were sexually active and engaged in high risk sex such as casual sex, same sex, multiple sexual partners, and sex in exchange for money or favour. Similarly Centre for Diseases Control (2008) reported that student’s used of alcohol and drugs are in increase and likelihood of high-risk sexual behaviours when they are drunk and high seem to be prevalent. School students are less likely to use safe sex techniques such as condom, or may use it incorrectly or inconsistently, because, substance use can impair judgment and lead students to make high-risk decisions.
In the area of study through experience and observation, students of tertiary institutions, no more under the close supervision of parents easily fall prey to youthful exuberances. Some organize parties, social nights involving taking of alcohol and smoking, watching of pornographic movies, wearing of obnoxious dresses, mostly by female students which expose sensitive parts of their body. Also during holidays which coincides with festivities like Christmas, Easter and Sallah, students exhibit these habits, some put on expensive ornaments and dresses, organize expensive parties without any form of gainful employment or business. These practices of students may imply that they may be involved in unsafe sexual attitudes and practices. Despite these observations, there is no any statistical data to students involvement in unsafe sexual attitudes and practices in Nasarawa State institutions. Unsafe sexual practices often lead to consequences like unwanted pregnancies, unsafe and illegal abortions, and other sexually transmitted diseases. Therefore, it becomes necessary to study the unsafe sexual attitude and practices of the students to provide a base line data in their institutions. An individual’s attitude is an embodiment of his or her personality. People’s attitudes to a great extent exert significant impact either negatively or positively on their actions (sexual practice inclusive), which are exhibited by humans. Allport (1995) described attitude as a mental or neutral state of readiness organized through experience, exerting a directive or dynamic influence upon the responses to all objects and situations with which it is related. Hornby (2007) defined attitude as the way one thinks, or feels, behaves towards somebody or something.
