Abstract:
Background; Risky sexual behavior is defined as any sexual activity that increases the risk of contracting sexually transmitted infections and unintended pregnancies. Prevalence of risky sexual behavior among street youths was rampant across worldwide. The aim of this study was to assess risky sexual behavior and associated factors among street youth in Wolaita Sodo town.
Method: Community-based cross sectional study design with both quantitative and qualitative data collection method was employed from April 20, 2021 to May 30, 2021, in Wolaita Sodo town. The data was collected from 371 respondents by using structured questionnaires. The study subjects for quantitative survey were identified by using venue-day-time space sampling (VDTS) method and purposive for qualitative.
Data was entered to EPI DATA version 3.1, then coded and analyzed by using STATA version 14.1. Descriptive statistics and binary logistic regression were used for analysis. Adjusted oddsratio with 95% CI were used and statistical significance was declared at P-value < 0.05. All qualitative information was transcribed and entered into open code version 4.02 software to carry out thematic analysis.
Result: From 371 respondents, 280 (75.47%) were practicing sex during their life time, of which 217(77.50%) were early initiated for sex before age of 18 years, 228(81.43 %) have had multiple sexual partners and 170(60.28 %) had utilized condom inconsistently. Computed prevalence of risky sexual behavior was 92.5% [95% CI: 88.74, 99.07]. Age of participants [AOR 3.64; 95%CI:1.10, 12.09], length of stay on the street [AOR 5.06; 95% CI: 1.38, 18.46] older aged sexual partners [AOR 7.31; 95% CI:1.76, 30.31], alcohol drinking [AOR 5.06; 95% CI: 1.41,18.15], pornographic videos [AOR 4.30; 95% CI: 1.08, 17.13] were significantly associated with risky sexual behavior.
Conclusions: Majority of participants were practicing risky sexual behavior. They were early initiated for sex before age below 18 years, have had multiple sexual partners, utilizing condom inconsistently. Addressing sexual reproductive health services, organizing IEC and SBBC materials and availing condom accessibility, reducing length of stay on the street and creating awareness about riskiness of early sexual initiation below 18 years were necessarily recommended.
