Predictors of Sexual Value Systems among Jimma University Students, Southwest Ethiopia

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Many parents lack the necessary knowledge about sexuality, and many others are not at ease to discuss sexuality issues with their children. As a result, schools and television assume ever-more influence over many children. The sexual behavior of individuals can be predicted when the effect of these phenomenon on the sexual value-system of individuals is known. The objective of this study was to identify the sexual value systems of Jimma university students and determine socio-demographic factors and sources of sex information that affect their sexual value systems. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey using quantitative data collection methods was conducted on randomly selected 713 (460 male and 253 female) students in May 2008. Data were collected using a piloted questionnaire administered by trained data collectors, and analyzed using SPSS for windows version13.0. Descriptive statistics, multinomial logistic regression, and chi-square tests were computed. Statistical tests were considered significant at the level of significance of 0.05. RESULTS: The mean age of the respondents was 20.9 (sd +2) and the sex ratio was181.82. Regarding their sexual value systems, 400 (56.0%) were absolutists, 178 (25.0%) were relativists, and 136 (19.0%) were hedonists. Male gender, Orthodox Christianity or having no religion, the habit of watching love related films or reading love related materials, classroom sex education perceived as ‘sex is natural, but one should recognize its harm and use before practicing it’, and being a senior student in the university were found to be independent predictors of hedonistic and relativistic sexual value systems. CONCLUSION: A significant proportion of the students had hedonistic or relativistic sexual value systems. Sex education emphasizing both the importance of abstinence and the available options when abstinence is no longer needed or impossible, regulating explicit sex videos and reading materials, and giving adequate emphasis to males are recommended.