Biomedical subjects

A O Okeke

Publications and source records attributed to A O Okeke.

5 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed1999

Contraception in teenage Nigerian school girls.

Contraception is reviewed in 314 teenage Nigerian school girls comprising 128 students at secondary and 186 at tertiary levels of institution. Out of all the teenagers, 26.8% were sexually exposed, among whom there was a total pregnancy rate of 19.05%. The rate of sexual exposure was higher in teenagers from tertiary institutions, 38.7% compared with 9.4% from secondary institutions. However, the pregnancy rate was higher among the sexually exposed secondary school girls, 33% vs. 16.7% for tertiary school girls. The mean level of contraceptive awareness for the various methods of contraception was 38.2% for the entire survey group: 22.6% for the secondary school girls and 54.4% for the tertiary school girls. Mean true contraceptive usage (TCU) among sexually active students, on the other hand, was 17.7%: 5% and 16.5% for the secondary school girls and tertiary school girls, respectively. The source of information on contraception for the study group was highest from 'a friend' (37.3%) and from the 'newsprint' (36.9%) and was lowest from routine 'lectures and sex instructions' (9.2%). Twenty-five point five per cent of the entire study group, 43% of the secondary school girls and 13.4% of the tertiary school girls, had never had any information on contraception. Instruction on contraception, as part of the academic curricula at the primary, secondary and tertiary levels of education, would improve contraceptive knowledge and forestall the emotional and social problems resulting from unwanted teenage pregnancies.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1994

Sexual behavior and pregnancy among Nigerian students.

The sexual behavior of 539 Nigerian female students comprising 387 adults and 152 teenagers was studied. The overall incidence of sexual activity among the students was 51.2%. The incidence of sexual intercourse was significantly higher among adult students (61.0%) compared with teenagers (26.3%) (p < 0.0005). There was no significant difference in the mean age at sexual debut for the adult students (18.7 +/- 3.2) compared with the teenage population (16.1 +/- 1.7). The frequency of sexual exposure was also not significantly different in the two groups (4.1 +/- 6.1 times per month for the adult students and 3.6 +/- 5.9 times per month for the teenage students). However, pregnancy occurred more often among the adult students (38.1%) than among the teenagers (15.0%) (p < 0.005). This article looks at the psychosocial implications of adolescent sexuality and the overall relevance of adequate reproductive health education in encouraging responsible attitudes regarding sexuality among teenagers.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1993

The pill: perceptions and usage among Nigerian students.

The knowledge and use of oral contraception were investigated in 498 students from 5 tertiary institutions in south-eastern Nigeria. Awareness of the pill was high (92.2%) but usage was comparatively low (17.5%). Post-coital oral contraception was more often used (11.5%) than the other types. Perceptions about the risks of the pill were variable: 46.4% of the students believed that it could damage the uterus, and 41% said it could cause infertility; 31.7% believed that it caused amenorrhea, while only 14.9% of the students admitted ignorance of the risks of the pill. There was a lack of desire to use the pill in 72.3% of the respondents. Only 18.7% desired to do so, including students already using the pill. The most common source of information on contraception was peer groups (43.6%), while lectures and sex instructions constituted the least common source (11.2%). Poor information on the pill and ignorance were identified as the major factors militating against pill usage. Accordingly, the role of early and adequate sex and contraceptive education in improving pill usage in this population and developing countries in general is highlighted.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Contraception: awareness and practice amongst Nigerian tertiary school girls.

Contraception is analysed in 498 Nigerian Tertiary School Girls--228 from the Medical Discipline (MD) of study and 270 from the Non-Medical Discipline (NMD). Pregnancy occurred in 30.5% of the sexually exposed students. Overall mean awareness of contraception was 70.9% while mean contraceptive usage was 23.5%. The most commonly used contraceptive method was the safe-period. Peer group constituted the highest source of information on contraception (42.6%) while lectures constituted the lowest (11.2%). Sex and contraceptive education entrenched into the country's education policy is advocated.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Influence of discipline of study on the sexual behaviour of Nigerian female students.

In this comparative study of the sexual behaviour of 476 Nigerian female students in tertiary institutions comprising of 243 students of the medical discipline of study (MD group) and 233 students of the non-medical discipline of study (NMD group), the overall incidence of sexual intercourse was 56.7 percent. The mean age at first sexual experience was not significantly different at & = 0.05 among the two groups. However, sexual exposure was significantly more prevalent among students of the non-medical discipline of study (NMD group)--69.1 percents compared to those of the medical discipline of study (MD group)--44.9 percent (p < 0.01). In addition, the frequency of sexual exposure was significantly higher among the former group, 5.5 +/- 6.8 times per month, than in the later, 1.7 +/- 3.8 times per month (t = 5.25 with 274 d.f.; p < 0.005). The incidence of pregnancy among the two groups of students 37.1 percent and 31.2 percent respectively for the NMD and MD groups showed no significant difference at & = 0.05. The reasons for the observed difference in the sexual behaviour between the students for the two groups are adduced. The overall implications of sexuality and the relevance of its management among the youth are also discussed.

Adolescent↗