CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1   BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY

More than 13 million youths, representing 7% of the population aged 15–24, are pursuing University education in Nigeria (Ayodele et al, 2001). For most of these youths, university represents a shift towards greater independence from home, and school settings offers an opportunity to form new friendships, as well as new subculture with divergent norms and values. While for others, school represents an opportunity to experience romantic and/or sexual relationships and experiment new ideas.

Throughout the world, the trend towards an increasing number of young people is reported having sex before marriage. Research indicates that as far back as 1950’s, the phenomena attracted a lot of public attention both in the United Kingdom and United States of America (Olugbenga  2009). For example, in 1954 a study in Manchester revealed that between the years 1950-1954 more than a quarter of underage girls were reported to have had sex before the age of 19. It was also noted that the girls came from a particular background, (from broken homes or bad parental influence). Similarly, an analysis of the Demographic health Survey found that in 58.6% of the 41 countries studied, women 20 to 24 years of age were more likely than women of 40 to 44 years of age report having premarital sexual relationship. According to Ayodele et al (2006), the rise in premarital sexual relationship in Africa has resulted from a sexual revolution that came with western culture (Scott, 2006). Sex in traditional societies use to be regarded as sacred and limited only to adult males and females within the institution of marriage (Alo, 2008).It is unfortunate that sex before marriage in Nigeria is still frown at. A child learns through the mass media and peers unguided. Children learn the important topic of sex education in negative manners, rather than having proper sex socialization at home or in schools. According to Asuzu (2005), premarital sexual relationship is increasingly considered a modern way of testing a girl’s fertility before marriage. Similarly, Data from the 2002 survey conducted in Owerri south eastern Nigeria by centre for reproductive health indicated that by age 20, 77% of respondents had premarital sexual relationship. Even among those who abstained until at least age 22, 81% had had premarital sexual relationship by age 44. Among cohorts of women turning 15 between 1964 and 1993, at least 91% had had premarital sexual relationship by age 30. Among those turning 15 between 1954 and 1963, 82% had had premarital sexual relationship by age 30, and 88% had done so by age 44.

The phenomenon has been reported as being common among Nigerian University undergraduates (Alo, 2008). Corroborating this view, Ayodele et al (2011), carried out a study to determine the prevalence of this phenomenon among adolescence in tertiary institution. The conclusion of the study indicates that premarital sexual relationship is highly normative behaviour among university students. A significant (85.6%) number of the respondents see nothing wrong with sex before marriage. The study also identifies cohabitation as one of the primary influence on premarital sexual relationship among students in tertiary institution. Cohabitation of opposite sex is a predisposing factor to the initiation of sexual activities. Premarital sexual relationship is not confined to teens alone, a good number of people who are not married, are also vulnerable to premarital sexual relationship. This is evidenced by the large number of unintended/unwanted pregnancies many of which get terminated in back street clinics (Alo, 2008). It is against this background that this paper seeks to ascertain the effect of premarital sexual relationship on university students in contemporary Nigerian.

PERCEPTION OF PRE-MARITAL SEXUAL RELATIONSHIP AMONG STUDENTS OF TERTIARY INSTITUTIONS