Adolescents are reportedly delaying their first sexual encounters and increasingly using condoms, yet HIV and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) remain significant concerns, according to a study conducted in Nigeria.
The research, carried out among undergraduate students in several Nigerian universities, found that the type of sex education adolescents receive in early adolescence has a lasting impact on their sexual behaviour.
Adolescents who received comprehensive guidance from their parents—including information on contraception and the risks of multiple sexual partners—were more likely to practice safer sexual behaviour, such as consistent condom use, abstinence, or maintaining a single sexual partner.
Conversely, those exposed only to abstinence-only education, or whose parents avoided discussing sexual health due to cultural or religious beliefs, were more likely to engage in unprotected sex and have multiple sexual partners.
Students from areas with limited access to sexual health information also reported higher rates of risky sexual behaviour, often citing newfound autonomy at university as a contributing factor.
Experts say early and comprehensive sex education is critical to reducing risky behaviour, teenage pregnancies, and the spread of HIV and STIs.
While mothers often take the lead in educating children, both parents should be involved. Programs that improve parental communication skills can also strengthen adolescent sexual health outcomes.
Advocates say empowering parents to discuss sexual health openly, combined with comprehensive education, can play a key role in promoting safer sexual practices among young people.
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