Saturday, 13 July 2013
Senior Medical Officer, Oyo State Hospital Management Board Dr Adebisi Olasunkanmi, said that early exposure to sex can increase the chances of an individual contracting sexually transmitted infections (STIs).
Olasunkanmi told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday that early unprotected sexual practice is common amongst adolescent population.
He made it known that a recent study showed that the proportion of adolescents who engaged in unprotected sex with multiple partners was highest amongst those, aged between 15 and 24 years.
He said that of this group, only about 22 per cent to 33 per cent had adequate knowledge about HIV/AIDS.
“Although adolescents are often regarded as the healthiest segment of any population, many in this group are confronted with multiple issues which undermine their health.
“As adolescents become physically and sexually mature, their interests in sex increases naturally. Early sex is a risk factor for STIs because those who have sexual debut early, have longer period of exposure to different sexual partners during their lifetime,’’ Olasunkanmi said
