Factors Influencing Premature Sexual Intercourse in Female High School Students of a District in the Lower Northern Province

Abstract

This cross-sectional descriptive research aimed to determine premature sexual intercourse and factors influencing premature sexual intercourse in female students. The participants were 472 female high school students of a district in the lower northern province. The research instruments included the questionnaires regarding predisposing factors, enabling factors, and reinforcing factors with reliabilities in the range of .79–.97, and a premature sexual intercourse questionnaire. Data were collected from October to December 2022. Statistics used for data analysis included frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation, and binary logistic regression analysis.

The research results revealed that 20.76% of female students experienced sexual intercourse. The factors that statistically significantly influenced premature sexual intercourse in female students were composed of sexual value (AOR = .81, 95% CI = .73–.90, p < .001), smoking (AOR = 4.68, 95% CI = 1.80–12.17, p < .01), peer influence (AOR = 1.09, 95% CI = 1.04–1.14, p < .01), parental married status (AOR = 2.43, 95% CI = 1.28–4.59, p < .01), sexual curiosity (AOR = .89, 95% CI = .82–.96, p < .01), having had a boyfriend (AOR = 10.46, 95% CI = 1.95–56.06, p < .01), currently having a boyfriend (AOR = 12.30, 95% CI = 2.37–63.83, p < .01), and erotic media consumption (AOR = .34, 95% CI = .17–.69, p < .01). These factors could predict premature sexual intercourse in female students at 52.90%.

This research suggests that school executives and related agencies should provide activities to promote sexual value and reduce peer influence. This will help prevent premature sexual intercourse in female students.