The Hidden Challenge: Preventive Practices of Sexually Transmitted Illness Among College Students in Western Ethiopia: The Case of Nekemte Town: A Mixed Methods Study

Abstract

Objective: The study was conducted to assess the knowledge, attitude and preventive practice of college students towards Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) including HIV/AIDS in Nekemte town, western Ethiopia. Result: Institutional based descriptive cross sectional study design triangulated with in-depth interview method was employed on 403 randomly selected quantitative and 12 purposively selected in-depth interview samples. Quantitative data was obtained by self-administered questionnaire. About forty percent (39.7%) of the respondents had sexual practice in their life. Females were 1.42 times more likely to be encountered in sexual intercourse in the past one year of the study period (AOR = 1.42, 95% CI: 1.3, 2.53). Sex, age, living arrangement and income level, was identified as factors initiating to sexual intercourse in college students. Qualitative evidences show that, living condition, poor access of sexual reproductive services and ever increasing urbanization, poor attention towards STI are challenging preventive practices of STI among college students. Generally, college students have good awareness and positive attitude towards STIs. However, there was a wide gap between knowledge and practice of the students regarding STIs. Greater attention should be paid to the college students improving the living conditions and access of services.