Prevalence of Sexual Behaviour Among Adolescence in Public and Private School in Benin Metropolis

ABSTRACT The objectives of the study focus on the prevalence of sexual behaviour among adolescents in public and private schools in Benin Metropolis. The specific objective are to determine the overall prevalence of sexual behaviour among adolescents in public and private schools in Benin Metropolis; compare the rates of sexual activity between adolescents in public schools and those in private schools within Benin Metropolis. The research design to be adopted in this research work is the descriptive survey research which involves the usage of self-designed questionnaires in the collection of data. The population for this study consist of 400 adolescence student in public and private school in Benin metropolis. The sample size of this study was 200 drawn out from the population of 500 of adolescence student in public and private school in Benin metropolis. using stratified simple random sampling technique. The findings of this study highlight the prevalence and determinants of adolescent sexual behavior in public and private schools within Benin Metropolis. The results indicate that while a significant proportion of students have engaged in sexual activity at some point, recent sexual activity is reported at a lower frequency. Furthermore, adolescents in public schools are significantly more likely to engage in sexual activity compared to their counterparts in private schools. Peer influences, social norms, and exposure to media play a crucial role in shaping adolescent sexual behavior, with factors such as peer pressure, material exchanges, and substance use contributing to early sexual engagement. Additionally, the study reveals that school-based sex education strategies are largely inadequate, as structured sex education programs are either absent or insufficiently implemented. These findings underscore the need for targeted interventions to address the gaps in sexual health education and mitigate risky sexual behaviors among adolescents in Benin Metropolis.