Premarital Sex, HIV and Use of Condom among Youths in Nigeria

Abstract

In the recent past, discussing about sex among children and youths was frowned at by traditional norms and as such sexual discuss and behavior were approached with great respect. Things are actually falling apart with the increasing number of young people that engage in premarital sex. Due to lack of experience and sex education, many young people are becoming increasingly exposed to the risk of HIV infection. In the light of the above, this study discussed premarital sex, HIV and use of condom among youths in Nigeria. Data for this study came from 2013 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey and other secondary data. The survey revealed that only 18.5% of young women that had sex in the 12 months preceding the survey used condom. Out of 3306 never-married sexually active men and women, 1728 representing 52% live in urban areas and 43% of them did not use condom during sexual intercourse in the 12 months preceding the survey. The study concludes by recommending that to achieve reduction of HIV/AIDS prevalence among Nigerian youths, effort must be directed towards educating youths on the importance of condom use sexual intercourse.