title: Sexual behavior and pregnancy among Nigerian students.
abstract: The sexual behavior of 539 Nigerian female students comprising 387 adults and 152 teenagers was studied. The overall incidence of sexual activity among the students was 51.2%. The incidence of sexual intercourse was significantly higher among adult students (61.0%) compared with teenagers (26.3%) (p < 0.0005). There was no significant difference in the mean age at sexual debut for the adult students (18.7 +/- 3.2) compared with the teenage population (16.1 +/- 1.7). The frequency of sexual exposure was also not significantly different in the two groups (4.1 +/- 6.1 times per month for the adult students and 3.6 +/- 5.9 times per month for the teenage students). However, pregnancy occurred more often among the adult students (38.1%) than among the teenagers (15.0%) (p < 0.005). This article looks at the psychosocial implications of adolescent sexuality and the overall relevance of adequate reproductive health education in encouraging responsible attitudes regarding sexuality among teenagers.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, College of Health Sciences, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Nnewi, Nigeria.
authors.forename: J I
authors.initials: JI
authors.lastname: Adinma
authors.forename: A O
authors.initials: AO
authors.lastname: Agbai
authors.forename: A O
authors.initials: AO
authors.lastname: Okeke
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006266:Health Education; D006801:Humans; D009549:Nigeria; D011247:Pregnancy; D011253:Pregnancy in Adolescence; D000297:Psychology, Adolescent; D012725:Sexual Behavior