SEXUAL BEHAVIOUR AND ITS CONSEQUENCES AMONG UNMARRIED ADOLESCENT GIRLS IN SABON GARI LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF KADUNA STATE

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SEXUAL BEHAVIOUR AND ITS CONSEQUENCES AMONG UNMARRIED ADOLESCENT GIRLS IN SABON GARI LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF KADUNA STATE

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

Background to the Study

Sex, being a universal term, one would expect a great deal to be known about it. Incidentally this is not the case, partly because all societies regulate sexual activities. This control restricts both the observation of sexual behaviours and access to information about it. However, in western societies it has been observed that sexual culture has changed from the repressive-restrictive kind to permissive- supportive kind and it has resulted in an increase in the frequency of extra- marital and pre-marital sexual intercourse as well as a decrease in the age of first intercourse (Ozeruz, 1999). In Nigeria, the state of sexual behaviour is such that parent-child communication in sexual matters is non-existent or negative. Most heads of families do not discuss family life education nor shared any information about Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) with adolescents. One third of the adolescents are sexually experienced with a mean age of initiation being 15.5 years, from this a new sexual morality seems to have emerged (Omotesho, 2003). Young people tend to regard sexual activity as the private personal affair of the participants and no business of anyone else (Chukwudum & Vincent-Osaghae, 2002).

These sexual activities like kissing, caressing, hugging, sexual intercourse begin in adolescence for the majority of people. Studies in many countries reveal that unmarried girls and boys engage in sexual activities before the age of 15yrs (World Health Organisation, 1989). This has given public health officials and educators a long standing interest in adolescent‟s sexual behaviours and risk prevention – an interest, intensified by the spread of Human Immuno-deficiency Virus (HIV) and STIs. In Nigeria these sexual behaviours are considerably influenced by culture like in many other countries of the world. This perhaps explains why few decades ago virginity of a girl, until she got married, was rewarded and various taboos were created round pre-marital sex. The trend is gradually changing and the incidence of adolescents and youths engaging in sexual intercourse is high and may constitute problem (Isiugo-Abanihe, 1993).These behaviours may be prevalent among Nigerian students especially those in secondary school and institution of higher learning (Isiugo-Abanihe,1993).This may be due to erosion of various customs and observances as well as factors associated with rapid urbanization and other factors such as family background, age, peer pressure, media influence, economic situation, gender, educational background (Akinleye &Onifade,1996). Unfortunately, understanding of adolescent sexuality is quite limited. Research on adolescent sexual behaviour has typically concentrated on vaginal intercourse as observed by the researcher.

However, adolescents who are virgins (defined as never having had vaginal intercourse) may still be sexually active and may behave in ways that put them at risk for sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Slap, Huana, Daniyam, Zink and Succop, (2003) revealed that sexual thoughts, feelings and behaviours, present throughout life are often accentuated during adolescence. Often the outcome of these behaviours can have adverse consequences such as unplanned pregnancy and sexually acquired infections. It is therefore necessary to understand some of the features of puberty and the adolescents which increase the indulgence in these sexual behaviours.

Slap, et al (2003) reported that puberty results when there is physical mature individual whose body habits and secondary sexual characteristics usually testify unmistakably, to maleness or femaleness, who is able to reproduce. The sequence of pubertal events is remarkably similar for most individuals despite broad variation in the timing and duration of the process. The onset of puberty is believed to be due to decreasing sensitivity of the hypothalamic – pituitary – gonadal axis to feedback inhibition by gonadal steroids, triggered by genetic potential with environmental factors. All these processes bring about growth of sexual hairs, skeletal maturation and development of reproductive organs in adolescents.

WHO (1989), defined adolescents as the young ones within the age range of 10-24yrs? This proportion varies in developed and developing countries. Adolescents make up only 21 per cent of the population of the developed countries but 29 per cent in developing countries such as Nigeria. A recent report shows that there are more than 1.5 billion people between the age of 10-24yrs, largest number ever, and 85 per cent of them live in developing countries (WHO 1998). This has prompted researchers in those parts of the world to dwell more on adolescents‟ reproductive health in other to come up with a lasting solution to some deviant social and health behaviours which have eaten deep into the society (United Nations Children Fund, 2008).  Ted and Urvis, (2002) further explained the adolescents as human beings undergoing a metamorphosis, a process of change common to organisms and known by biological scientists to be very delicate and sensitive, and in human beings, subject to moral, physical and social distortion, depending on the manner of handling.

Samuel, (2006) also defined adolescent as a person or an individual who is capable of begetting an offspring because of his or her sexual maturity as well as ability to withstand societal pressures making it possible to perform adult roles. For the purpose of this study, adolescents are regarded as youths between the ages of 11 and 24years. These include those in school and out of school. These adolescents are sexually active and full of energy and they undergo certain reproductive or sexual behavior irrespective of the consequences. In other to have a good understanding of adolescents, the term adolescence is defined below.

Ego, (1995) defined adolescence as a period of transition, rapid physical change, conflicting motives, and ambiguous social expectations. It is the transition from childhood to adulthood. The person so described is no longer a child and yet he or she is not yet an adult. Ego went further to classify adolescent into three: early adolescents (11-15years), middle adolescents (16-18 years), and late adolescents (19-22years). The reason for this classification stems from the fact that adolescents continue to depend on their parents due to their long years of study and job searching until 20 or even 25 years. Ted and Urvis, (2002) in their own report stated that during adolescence, youths are experiencing physical growth and hormonal changes that prompt sexual feelings. In this study the definition of Ego (1995) will be adopted. Another concept that needs to be understood is behavior.

Houghton, (2009) defined behaviour as the actions of a person or animal in response to external or internal stimuli. Ogbonnaya, (2000) viewed behaviours as the complex ways in which people think, feel and react in relation to joys and troubles of life. Ogbonnaya added that it is all activities of an individual that can be observed by someone else and those activities that may not be observed. For the purpose of this study, behaviour is defined as a result of response to stimuli (observable and non observable) that an adolescent presents. When these behaviours are related to sex, they are termed sexual behavior.

Hirchfield, (2009) defined sexual behaviour as any behaviour that involves sexual response by the body. Wolman, (1999) described sexual behaviour as the totality of normal and abnormal, conscious and unconscious, overt and covert sensations, thoughts, feelings and actions related to sexual organs and other erotic zones including masturbation, heterosexual, homosexual relations, goals and techniques. Sexual behaviours therefore, are all behaviours that individuals identify as disclosing themselves as male or female or that they consider as necessary part of their masculine or feminine role. These behaviours could range from, holding of hands to fondling, light embracing. Wolman, further identified them as all practices or activities preformed that link to sexual organs involving stimulus and response. Examples are, sexual thoughts, holding of the hands, casual goodnight kissing, deep kissing up to petting, breast fondling, light embrace, hugging, touching of the genitalia, sexual intercourse, homosexual relations, oral sex and lesbianism. In this study, Wollmans’ definition will be adopted. They could be grouped into heterosexual and homosexual behaviours.

Joohnson,(2005) defined heterosexual behaviouras as romantic and or sexual attraction between members of opposite sex. Heterosexual behaviours, for the purpose of this study are those sexual behaviors that involve opposite sexes; it includes both normal and deviant forms of sexual activities. They include; holding a partner in a unique way denoting affiliation, light embrace ( light body to body contact without really hugging), casual goodnight kiss, hugging, deep kissing which involves exchange of tongues in each other‟s mouth and sucking it, breast fondling where the female or the male partners‟ breast is touched in a manner that it increases or arouses sexual urge, touching of the genitals with finger in a special  manner, for example, in strokes to bring about orgasm, the introduction of the penis into the female vagina in an outward-inward movement to bring about orgasm, and lastly oral sex.

Christine, (1990) defined non- heterosexual behaviour as the romantic and sexual orientation towards persons of one’s sex. For this study they are those sexual behaviours that involve people of the same sex. They are: homosexuality (this involve male partners where the anus serve as the vagina) and lesbianism (this refers to female partners, their fingers serve as penis). They also hug, kiss, and also fondle their breasts. Oral sex is practised by both homosexuals and lesbians. It is a situation where the mouth served as the vagina, the penis introduced to it and where the tongue serve as the penis, its introduced to the vagina and also used to stroke all over the clitoris and the vulva.

In another perspective, adolescents in every society are the most vulnerable to the complications of sexual activities being that this period is a state of mental and physical development such that they are subject to moral, physical and social distortion, depending on the manner of handling them (Ted and Urvis, 2002). The vulnerability of the adolescents is another reason the investigator has chosen them in order to determine the sexual behaviour practices which may be influenced by certain factors.

Some of these variables capable of influencing sexual behaviours of adolescents include age, gender, level of education, and religious affiliation. Females find it difficult to open up and talk about sexuality and as such the information gotten may be more from boys. Paul, Barbara and Annabel (2003) in Kenya, reported that HIV prevalence was higher in females despite their reporting of one sexual partner and few episodes of sexual intercourse

Age may or may not influence the study of sexual behaviours. It all depends on the exposure of the individual to such activities. Omoteso, (2003) stated that in south western Nigeria the age of undergraduate student do not have significant influence on the student‟s sexual behaviour. This implies that the ways and manners a university undergraduate student in south western Nigeria will approach a sexual matter does not depend on his or her age. On the other hand, Sahbal, Esmahan, Sema, and Semih, (2006) stated that age at first sexual activity is earlier in females. According to Chukwudum and Vincent-Osaghae, (2002) age influences the onset of sexual behavior. They found out that older adolescents aged between 16-19 are more sexually experienced than the younger ones.

Educational background is another factor that can influence sexual activity. Lack of knowledge about the subject is a strong variable that may influence sexual behaviours. Kinsey, Wardell and Clyde (2010) found out that better educated people, urban residents, were overrepresented in a study of awareness of safe sexual behaviour while manual workers, less-educated, older people, rural people were less represented. On the practice of sexual behaviours, Forste and Haas, (2003) expressed that high academic expectation is known to delay early initiation of sexual activities among adolescents they further reported that the lower a teenager‟ school grade or lower educational expectation of an adolescent, the more likely he/she is to be sexually experienced. By this, adolescents who are educationally backward are more likely to engage in risky sexual behaviours.

Religious affiliation is another factor that influences sexual behaviours. Smith, (1998) commented that religion exercises a traditional constraint on sexual behaviour. Smith claimed that those who attend church regularly are less likely to become sexually active or have multiple and casual partners because of the teachings in the church. Most world religions have sought to address issues that arise from people’s sexuality in society and in human interactions. Each major religion has developed moral codes covering issues of sexuality, morality, ethics, which have sought to guide people’s sexual activities and practices. Having looked at the variables that affect sexual behaviours it is pertinent also to consider in this study some theories whereby these sexual behaviours revolve around.

Modifying behaviour is important, yet difficult. Because of this, great attention has been paid in this study to conceptual approach in understanding these sexual behaviours. To this end these theories or models have been adopted to guide this study. The theory of social learning, propounded by Donenberg, Wilson, & Emerson (2005). It is a theory of emulation and the subject just observes behaviours taking place around him or her to emulate them. Consequently, adolescents who have potentials for new experiences, new ideas, and opportunities will always have the tendency of learning new behaviours including sexual behaviours. (WHO 1989). Hence, the relevance of this theory to adolescents‟ sexual behavior practices. Next is health belief model, according to Rosenstock (1974) and Becker (1974), it focuses on how an individual perceives him or herself to be susceptible to a particular health problem and in turn takes a health action in order not to be a victim. Adopting this theory helps to understand in this study, that any action taken by the adolescent towards sexual behaviour is based on the adolescents‟ perception on the health problem that may emanate from his or her action. Lastly, is the romantic attachment theory, developed by Hazan and Shaver, (1987). Harzan and Shaver stated that the theory is all about attachment and conceptualization of love relationships. A shift in the love attachment of the adolescent from his or her parents due to puberty pushes the adolescent to search for a peer, usually an opposite sex, for a new love attachment. Bowlby, (1971) added that attachment is an important component of human from cradle to grave. This theory explains why an adolescent will most of the time be looking for a relationship with an opposite sex.

Statement of the Problem

The adolescent age group (10-24 years of age) constitutes about 29 per cent of Nigeria’s population (NPC1998). Ideally it is expected that norms and virtues (which include, holding of one’s virginity and chastity till marriage, not staying late out of the house with peers, obeying and allowing elders to control them) inculcated in these young ones should guide them to live a life devoid of unhealthy sexual practice that exposes them to life threatening conditions. It is also expected that with the increase in the awareness campaign of the vices of harmful sexual practice, the adolescents should be able to make a healthy decision about their sexual life style.

Unfortunately, there is evidence to confirm that these adolescents are sexually active (United Nations Joint Programme on HIVAIDS/WHO, 2000). It has been estimated that about 2.5million adults and 120,000 children under 15years in Nigeria were living with HIV/AIDS at the end of 1999 (UNAIDS/WHO, 2000). The above situation demands that programme targeting the youths must be developed and implemented because the most vulnerable age group (20 – 39 age category) would have contracted the virus in their teenage and young adult years, this is due to the fact that the incubation period of the virus can last up to 10 years.

In Sabon Gari LGA, as observed by the researcher there is an escalation of unhealthy sexual behaviours among the adolescents. The community may not be doing anything to curb it, the government efforts seem not to be embraced by the young ones in the community. So many young ones dropped from school due to teenage pregnancy, some got married in the middle adolescent, and some have even died of HIV/AIDS. This has left some families in so much emotional turmoil and shame. These problems if not well identified and handled well to enhance a positive adolescence sexual life style will cause much more menace, as observed by the researcher.

As observed by Careal, Chelard and Adeokun (1991), little is known or documented about sexual behavior in sub-saharan Africa, least of all, Sabon Gari LGA Kaduna State of Nigeria and this lack of information severally limit STIs and AIDS control efforts. Recently, it was recorded that 80% of HIV infection in Sub-Saharan Africa were through sexual intercourse (UNAIDS, 2008). Few studies conducted in Nigeria focused mainly on Western part of the country, Anambra State of Nigeria, or superficially on Nigeria in general.

However, given the researchers’ observation of adolescent unwanted pregnancies in Sabon Gari LGA of Kaduna State and prevalence of reports of STIs among adolescents in same L G A, the temptation may be to suspect a heightened sexuality at present among them. It will be grossly wrong, however, to draw the above conclusion without an empirical study of the adolescents‟ sexual behaviour. This prompted the researcher to go into this study.

Purpose of the Study

The purpose of the study is to investigate the sexual behaviour practices among  adolescents in Sabon Gari LGA of  Kaduna State. Specifically, the study is set out to:

  1. find out the heterosexual behaviours of adolescents in Sabon Gari LGA.
  2. find out the non-heterosexual behaviours of adolescent in Sabon Gari LGA.
  3. find out the difference in the sexual behaviours according to age.
  4. find out the difference in sexual behaviours according to class.
  5. find out the difference in sexual behaviours according to gender.
  6. find out the difference in the sexual behaviours according to religious affiliation.
  7. find out the difference in sexual behaviours among in-school and out of school adolescents in Sabon Gari LGA of Kaduna State.
  8. find out the factors that influence adolescents to engage in sexual behaviours. Research Questions

The following questions are posed to guide the study.

  1. What are the heterosexual behaviours of adolescents in Sabon Gari LGA?
  2. What are the non-heterosexual behaviours of the adolescents in Sabon Gari LGA?
  3. What is the difference in the sexual behaviour of adolescents according to age?
  4. What is the difference in the sexual behaviours of adolescents according class in school?
  5. What is the difference in the sexual behaviours of adolescents according to gender?
  6. What is the difference in the sexual behaviours of adolescents according to religious affiliation?
  7. What is the difference in the sexual behaviours of in-school and out-of-school adolescents?
  8. What are the reasons for engaging in sexual behaviours by adolescents?

 

 Hypotheses

The following null hypotheses were tested at .05 level of significance.

The adolescents‟ sexual behaviours are independent of class.

The adolescents‟ sexual behaviours are independent of age.

The adolescents‟ sexual behaviours are independent of gender.

The adolescents‟ sexual behaviours are independent of religion.

Significance of the Study

The study is considered significant in many ways. The information will be useful to adolescents, parents and the community of Sabon Gari LGA. The result of the research will enable the health educators, health care providers, and the government to plan well for the health care of the community when they have identified predominant heterosexual and non-heterosexual behaviours existing in that community. It will guide the planning of the health talk to be given to the adolescents in that community.

When the different effects of the variables (age, gender, level of class, religious affiliation) to adolescent sexual behaviours are identified it will guide the parents, the government and even the adolescents in taking a positive decision as it concerns the adolescent’s‟ health in that community thereby bringing about a change in the existing menace in health problems due to sexual activities. The relationship to age will enable the parents have insight of how age could influence their children’s sexual behaviour and for them to adopt a positive children relationship. To the adolescents, they will be conscious of deceit from elderly ones. For the government, it will give them clue on which school age they should include sex education in the school curriculum.

The result gathered from effects of this behaviour to level of class will be very beneficial to the adolescents themselves. It will be a proof to them that to be educated is to be well equipped in knowledge to live a very positive life style. This in turn, makes them to take their studies serious. To the government, it will increase the zeal to achieve the millennium development goal number two which is to achieve universal primary education for all.

The findings of the effects of gender and the reasons for adolescents engaging in some sexual behaviours will be beneficial to health education counsellors as it will guide them on health talk to the young adolescents who might feel that their gender has right to certain sexual behaviour whether or not harmful. It will also help them to prepare for a convincing health talk against some myths which might be the reason for engaging in such behaviours. Lastly the finding will give room for further research in that area.

 

Scope of the Study

This study was delimited to Sabon Gari LGA. of Kaduna State. The study was limited to adolescents within the age of 11– 24 years.  The adoloescents consisted of adolescents in school and those out of school found within the area (rural) both male and female. The study was concerned with determining the heterosexual and non heterosexual behaviours of students. The independent variables that were examined include the influence of level of class in school, age, gender, and religious affiliation.

SEXUAL BEHAVIOUR AND ITS CONSEQUENCES AMONG UNMARRIED ADOLESCENT GIRLS IN SABON GARI LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF KADUNA STATE

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