School and Parental Factors Associated with One-Night Stand, Condom Use at Sexual Debut and Multiple Sexual Partners

Abstract

In many countries, risky sexual behaviour appears to have become more common among sexually active young adults due to increasing acceptance of pre-marital sexual behaviour. This poses a threat to the sexual and reproductive health of those who engage in it. This study investigated the possible influence of school and parental factors-such as time of sexual debut (before or after admission), institutional type, accommodation type (on-campus or off-campus), parental marriage type, parental counselling, and family of socialisation-on three risky sexual behaviours: one-night stand, condom use at first sex, and multiple sexual partners. The study adopted a cross-sectional survey method. A total of 433 respondents were selected from three stratified tertiary institutions in Lagos State, Nigeria. The study found that institutional type and parents' marriage significantly influenced involvement in one-night stands. Age at sexual debut and parents' marriage type were associated with condom use at first sex. Also, while students of polytechnic had more sexual partners than their counterparts in the university and college of education (F = 16.849; p = 0.001), those living on campus were significantly more likely to have multiple sexual partners than those living off campus (T = -1.995; p = 0.047). The study recommends that management of higher education institutions and accommodation providers improve their physical environments to discourage risky sexual behaviours and sensitise young people. Additionally, parent-child discussions on sex-related matters from both parents, especially in polygynous homes, are encouraged.