Premarital Sexual Practice and Its Predictors Among Preparatory School Students Living with and Without Parents in Hossana Town, Southern Ethiopia

Globally, pre-marital sexual activities among adolescents have been reported to be increasing. Many studies in Sub- Saharan Africa, including Ethiopia, had reported that there were increasing premarital sexual activities among adolescents and youths. Besides, they are risk-takers who are more likely to make decisions about the future without adequately considering the consequences. The study aimed to assess the premarital sexual practice and its predictors among preparatory school students living with and without parents in Hossana Town, Southern Ethiopia. An institution-based comparative cross-sectional study design was carried out using a self-administered questionnaire. The sample size was determined by using EPI INFO version 3.5.3 software of two population proportions. The sample size for students who were living without parents and with parents was 202 and 404, respectively, and the overall sample size including a 10% non-response rate was 606. The predictors of pre-marital sexual debut were assessed using bivariate and multivariable logistic regression. The magnitude of pre-marital sexual practice was 105 (27%) and 76 (39%) among students who were living with and without their parents, respectively. Watching pornography videos [AOR=4.9, 95% CI: 2.4, 10.2], discussing about sexual issues with their friends or peers [AOR=3.5, 95% CI: 1.72, 7.15], drinking alcohol [AOR=6.62, 95% CI: 2.26, 19.36], and educational status of the father were predictors for students who live with their parents while discussing about sex with [AOR=5, 95% CI: 1.12, 5.6], watching pornography videos [AOR=2.7, 95% CI: 1.16, 6.07] drinking alcohol [AOR=6.0, 95% CI: 1.2, 29.7] were also predictors for students who live without their parents. The prevalence of pre-marital sexual practice was high in both groups; especially students who live without their parents. Thus, public health interventions should predominately focus on behavioral, social, and environmental factors of pre-marital sexual practices.