Prevalence and health care seeking behaviour for sexually transmitted infections among in-school adolescents in Ado-Ekiti, South-Western Nigeria.
BACKGROUND
In Nigeria, adolescents are highly vulnerable to sexually transmitted infections (STIs) which have the potential of jeopardising their future reproductive lives if poorly treated.


OBJECTIVE
To determine the prevalence and health care seeking behaviour for STIs among secondary school adolescents in Ado, South-Western Nigeria.


METHODS
Male and female adolescents aged 10-19 years.


METHODS
The study employed a descriptive cross-sectional design. A pre-tested, self-administered, semi-structured questionnaire was used to elicit information from 560 adolescents selected from public and private secondary schools in Ado Local Government Area (LGA) of Ekiti State, using a multistage sampling technique. The data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Analyzed data were presented in the form of tables and charts.


RESULTS
Two hundred and fifty-one (47.1%) respondents had previous symptoms of STIs. The commonest symptoms among the males were penile discharge (30.5%), painful micturition (30.5%) and stomach pain with swollen testes (25.4%). The commonest symptoms among the females were genital itching (27.6%), genital sores (14.1%) and painful micturition (13.1%). Only 26.7% sought treatment from a health facility; 37.0% did nothing; 15.9% went to patent medicine stores, 10.0% used herbs; the rest did self-medication or prayed.


CONCLUSIONS
The prevalence of STI symptoms among adolescents in Ado-Ekiti is high but their health care seeking behaviour is poor. Health education about the dangers of untreated STI and the importance of seeking treatment early, targeted at adolescents, should be intensified.
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Patrick T
PT
Adegun
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Eyitope O
EO
Amu
STI prevalence; adolescents; health seeking behaviour