Parent-Youth Sexual Discussion and its Association with Sexual Activity among Undergraduates in a Nigerian University.

Background: Parents play a significant role in the sexual orientation and behaviours of their children. Lack of communication between parents and their children about sexual matters may contribute to engagement of young people in risky sexual behaviours.

Objectives: To assess the pattern of parent-youth sexual discussions and its association with sexual activity among unmarried undergraduates in a Nigerian university.

Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 400 undergraduates aged 15-24 years in a tertiary institution in Ogun state, Nigeria. A structured selfadministered questionnaire was used for data collection. Data was analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 21.0. The level of significance was set at p <0.05.

Results: Parent-youth discussions on sexual issues had occurred in 225 (56.2%) of the respondents, with mothers being more involved than fathers; onset was at secondary school level in nearly three-fifths. There was no statistically significant relationship between parent-youth sexual discussions and engagement in sexual intercourse (p = 0.666); however, parental visit(s) on campus was associated with a significant reduction in sexual intercourse (p = 0.006).

Conclusion: Engagement of youths in sexual discussions by their parents is still low and such discussions are often not impactful in preventing pre-marital sex. Parental supervisory visits for undergraduates on campus may be helpful in consolidating the desired effect of such sexual discussions, and should be encouraged.