Risky sexual behaviour and associated factors among students of Debre Tabor University, Northwest Ethiopia: a cross-sectional study

Introduction: Youth are the foundation of any society. Neglecting their sexual and reproductive health leads to high social and economic crisis. However, there is limited information on the sexual and reproductive health aspects of University students in Ethiopia. Thus, the aim of this study was to assess risky sexual behaviours and associated factors among students of Debre Tabor University. Methods and materials: A cross-sectional survey was conducted between 1February and 30 March 2014 using self-administered structured questionnaire to collect data on socio-demographic, sexual and associated risk behaviours among 394 University students. Descriptive and stepwise logistic regression model was carried out using SPSS version 21. A p value of < 0.05 and 95% CI was considered to test statistical significance. Results: A total of 394 students were enrolled in the study. Among these, 347 (88.1%) provided complete responses. About 97 (28.4%) study participants had sexual experience at the mean age of 18.9 years (SD 1.9 years). Out of these, 59 (62.1%) had sexual contact with their regular friends. Female students under the age of 18 were less likely to start sexual intercourse compared with males [AOR= 0.2, 95% CI (0.7-0.9)]. Students who had symptoms of sexually transmitted infection (STI) were 16 times more likely to have early sexual contact compared to those students who had no symptoms [AOR = 16.4, 95% CI (1.4-193]. Not using condom at the first [AOR= 3.2 95% CI (1.2-10.5)] and last [AOR= 3.8, 95% CI (1.2-13.6)] sexual engagement were significant predictors of having multiple sexual partners. Conclusions: This study revealed risky sexual behaviours among Debre Tabor University students. Thus, continuous and intensified public health strategies on health education and reproductive health services are required to address the sexual and reproductive health needs of the students.