Assessing the relationship among sex knowledge, contraceptive attitudes and practices and perceived need for family planning and sex education among selected Nigerian college students

The main purpose of this study was to assess the relationship among sex knowledge, contraceptive attitudes and practices and the perceived needs for family planning and sex education among selected Nigerian college students.

The following research questions were addressed: (1) What is the family life and sex education knowledge of Nigerian undergraduate students? (2) What do the students perceive as their needs regarding sex education and family planning? (3) What are students' contraceptive practices? (4) Is there a difference in the level of students' sex knowledge and their contraceptive practices and non-practices? (5) Is there a relationship in the level of students' family life and sex knowledge and their contraceptive attitudes? and (6) Is there a difference between students' contraceptive attitudes and practices?

The data were collected from 107 Nigerian undergraduate students at three major colleges in Enugu, Nigeria. The whole study population was utilized. The primary statistical methods used to analyze the data were tabulation of frequencies and percentages, computation of mean, standard deviation, standard error, range, Pearson r correlation coefficient and t-test at .05 level of significance.

The following major conclusions were drawn from the findings of this study: (1) The family life and sex knowledge of Nigerian college students surveyed in this study could be improved. (2) Family life and sex education would be well received by Nigerian students, in light of the needs they expressed. (3) There is a need to increase the use of contraception among sexually active Nigerian students. (4) Improving sex knowledge of the sexually active students is likely to increase the effectiveness of the contraceptive practices already in use. (5) Developing positive attitudes towards contraception may result from increased sex knowledge of the Nigerian student population. (6) By increasing sex knowledge and affecting the development of more positive attitudes towards the use of contraceptives, it may be possible to increase the numbers of students who choose to practice contraception.