SEXUAL PRACTICES AMONG YOUTHS WHO INDULGE IN THE ABUSE OF PSYCHOACTIVE SUBSTANCES IN SELECTED INNERCORE AREAS OF IBADAN, NIGERIA

Abstract

Drug abuse is a common public health problem among young persons worldwide. Indulgence in risky sexual practices is noted to be prevalent among them and this in turn makes them susceptible to Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs). There is, however, dearth of information relating to the risky sexual practices among young persons who abuse psychoactive substances in the urban slums of Ibadan. This study was therefore designed to investigate the sexual behaviours of drug-dependent youths in selected inner core or slum areas of Ibadan metropolis. The study was a descriptive cross-sectional survey which involved the use of a multistage sampling technique to select 215 psychoactive drug-using males in Beere and its environs. A pretested semi-structured, interviewer-administered questionnaire was used to collect data relating to the sexual behaviours, knowledge of condom, pattern of drug use and the influence of drugs on sexual behaviour of respondents. Eight Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) were also conducted to provide more insights into the study. Descriptive statistics, Chi-square and t-test statistics were used for the analysis of the quantitative data while the thematic analytical method was used to analyse the FGD data. The respondents’ ages ranged from 15-24 years with a mean of 22.2 ± 2.3 years. The drugs that had ever been used or abused by them included alcohol (78.1%), Marijuana (68.4%), Tramadol (65.1%), “Skunk” (60.9%), Skushi (60.5%), codeine (56.7%), caffeine (48.8%) and rophynol (48.4%). Respondents’ age of sexual debut was 16.3 ± 3.4 years. Majority (71.2%) of them had ever taken psychoactive drugs to enhance sexual satisfaction. Tramadol (71.6%) topped the list of the drugs mostly used to enjoy sex. Majority of the respondents (73.0%) had ever used condom with 68.2% still involved in the practice as at the time of the study. Few respondents (25.5%) would proceed with sex without using condom if a sexual partner objected to its use. The other risky sexual practices included having casual sexual partners (63.0%), and indulgence in sex for money (47.0%). The FGD participants stated that alcohol and other drugs were used to gain energy needed to indulge in sexual intercourse and to perform other energy-sapping jobs. The FGD results revealed that opinion was divided on pattern of condom use among the drug-using youths; while about half across most of the groups said the practice was common while the other half disclosed that condom was rarely used by the youths. The categories of persons condoms were used with included commercial sex workers and girls perceived to be sexually promiscuous. The main reasons for sustained condom use were to prevent pregnancy and Sexually Transmitted Infection. The prevalence of using psychoactive drugs to enhance sexual intercourse was high among the respondents. In addition several sexual practices that can put them at risk of health-related challenges were noted. Health education strategies such as training, counseling, advocacy and social marketing are needed to promote healthy sexual practices and reduce the prevalence of drug abuse among the study population.