Influence of internet exposure on sexual behaviour of young persons in an urban district of Southwest Nigeria

The Pan African Medical Journal

Oyedunni Sola Arulogun¹  Isaac Oluwafemi Dipeolu¹  Ifeyinwa Arinze Ogbu¹ 

[1] Department of Health Promotion and Education, Faculty of Public Health, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria;

关键词: internet use;    young persons;    pornographic sites;    sexual behaviour;   

DOI  :  10.11604/pamj.2016.25.261.2630

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

INTRODUCTION: the proportion of young people exposed to pornographic materials through the internet in Nigeria is increasing. However, the influence of the exposure on their sexual behaviour has not been fully explored. This study therefore explored the effects of internet exposure on the sexual behaviour of young persons in Ibadan North Local Government Area of southwest Nigeria. METHODS: a survey of 413 young persons was done using a pretested self-administered questionnaire which included questions on internet exposure and its influence on behaviour. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, Chi-square test and logistic regression. RESULTS: mean age of males was 21.7 + 3.4 years while that of females was 20.9 + 3.2 years.Forty-nine percent of the respondents used the internet for the first time between the ages of 15-19 years. Main source of information about the internet was friends (63.3%) and 99.3% accessed the internet from cybercafé.Seventy-two percent had ever stumbled on pornographic sites. Reactions included glancing through before closing (45.2%), closure of the sites (38.5%), and minimizing page to view later (12.5%). Post-exposure influence on behaviour included engagement in oral sex (48.3%), body tattoo (18.3%), having multiple sexual partners (11.6%) and homosexuality (5.0%). More males (95% CI OR =1.245-6.465) and frequent users (95% CI OR =1.168-3.497) were likely to report a change in sexual behaviour. CONCLUSION: internet use was common among the young persons. Interventions aimed at reducing exposure to sexual content on internet targeting young persons especially the males and cybercafé operators are advocated.

【 授权许可】

Unknown