Sexual networking among some Lagos State adolescent Yoruba students

Abstract

Adolescent sexual behaviour was studied in order to provide more valid data on the onset of sexual experience and aspects of premarital sexual networking which may influence sexuality in later life. Yoruba students from five secondary schools were surveyed. Almost half the respondents were sexually active and most had more than two sexual partners. Despite this, most respondents favoured premarital chastity for girls. More students had heard of AIDS than STDs but, even so, knowledge of transmission was limited. Yet nearly one-third indicated that they knew of someone with AIDS. The evaluation, however, of premarital chastity as desirable suggests that subsequent sexual behaviour may be amenable to shaping through family-life education, a possible route for AIDS control campaigns.