INFLUENCE OF INTERNET USE ON SEXUAL BEHAVIOUR OF YOUNG PEOPLE IN IBADAN NORTH LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OYO STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

The proportion of young people exposed to pornographic materials through the internet in Nigeria is increasing. However, the influence of the exposure on their sexual behaviour has not been fully explored. This study was conducted to determine the effects of internet use on the sexual behaviour of young people in Ibadan North local Government Area. The study was a descriptive cross-sectional survey. A three-stage simple random sampling technique was used to select 413 young people aged 10-24 years that had ever used internet. A validated self-administered questionnaire was used to obtain information on socio-demographic characteristics, internet use and sexual practices. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, Chi-square and logistic regression at p-0.05.

Respondents’ mean age of males was 21.7 years (SD=3.4) while that of females was 20.9 years (SD=3.2). More males (70.5%) used the internet. Forty -nine percent of the respondents between the ages of 15-19 years used the internet for the first time. The main source of information about the internet was friends (63.3%). Most respondents (99.3%) (Males 70.5%; females 28.5%) accessed the internet from cyber café and 72.6% from their schools. Thirty percent of respondents used the internet daily. Activities engaged in while on the internet included sending and receiving mails (55.0%) and online chatting (34.1%). Seventy-seven percent had ever used instant messenger and of these 48.4% chatted with persons of opposite sex. Fifty-two percent of respondents who ever chatted online discussed relationship. Fifteen percent of respondents admitted intentional exposure to pornography sites. Seventy-two person had ever stumbled on pornographic sites on the internet and their reactions to the scenes observed include: the closure of the sites (females, 57.5%: male 38.7%), glancing through before closing (females 30.1%; males 46.7%) and minimizing page to view later (females 12.3%: males 13.6%). Fifty-two percent of respondents reported negative changes in their sexual behaviour after exposure to pornographic sites. Respondents’ reactions after accessing pornographic sites was a desire to know more about sexual activities (45.0%), tendency to practice what was seen (23.3%) and urge to have sex (31.7%). Twenty-seven percent of daily internet users who had ever watched pornography sites had practiced what was viewed. Males were more likely than females to report a change in sexual behaviour after exposure to pornographic sites (95% CI OR = 1.245-6.465) and frequent internet users more likely than less frequent users to report a change in sexual behaviour (95% CI OR = 1.168-3.497). Internet use was common among the young people and many of them stumbled on pornographic sites which influenced their sexual behaivour. Interventions designed to reduce exposure to sexual content should focus more on males and frequent internet users especially at the Cybercafes.