PREVALENCE AND EXPERIENCES RELATING TO GYNECOMASTIA AMONG MALE SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS IN MINNA, NIGER STATE, NIGERIA.

Abstract

Gynecomastia is the development of female-like breast tissues in human males. The condition often causes serious embarrassment and gender confusion among those affected. There are few studies on the prevalence and experiences of gynecomastia among male secondary school students in Nigeria. This study therefore assessed the prevalence and experiences relating to gynecomastia among male secondary school students in Minna, Niger State. Four hundred male senior and junior secondary school students were randomly selected from eight out of the 13 eligible secondary schools in Minna. A validated questionnaire was used to obtain quantitative data, while five In-Depth Interviews (IDIs) were conducted among five purposively selected participants, one each from five of the eight schools. Descriptive, Chi-square and ANOVA statistics were used to analyze the quantitative data and the qualitative data were analyzed thematically. The participants' ages ranged from 10 to 23 years with a mean of 15.6 ± 2.2 years. A greater proportion (62.3%) of the participants was Moslems and 57.5% of them were from monogamous families. Many (60.8%) of the participants had ever experienced gynecomastia and participants aged 15 - 19 years constituted 76.5% of those who had ever had gynecomastia. Some participants (12.8%) were living with it at the time of the survey. Prevalence of gynecomastia among the participants by age group were as follow: 15-19 years (69.5%); 10-14 years (25.9%); 20-24 years (4.6%) (p<0.05). Gynecomastia was found more among students in the Senior Secondary School Class One (SS1) (33.3%). Knowledge of the participants on the condition was measured using a 12-point scale. The overall mean knowledge score was 6.8 ± 1.7. The mean knowledge scores by age group were 20 -24 years (7.5 ±1.5):15- 19years (6.9 ± 1.6) and 10-14 years (6.6 ± 1.8). The Senior Secondary Class 1 (SS I ) boys had the highest mean knowledge score of 7.I ± 1.5; the Senior Secondary 2 (SS2) had 6.9 ± 2.2; Junior Secondary I (JSS I ) 6.9 ± 1.5. Junior Secondary 2 (JSS2) 6.6± 1.4; and Junior Secondary class 3 (JSS3) 6.6 ± 1.5 with no significant differences. The mean knowledge scores for those who had ever had it and those who had never experienced it were 7.0 and 6.6 respectively (p<0.05). More students who had ever had gynacomastia (47.7%) were sympathetic to the plight of persons with gynecomastia, compared with those who never had it – 13.5% (p<0.05). The experiences related to gynecomastia among the participants included: Pain when touched (69.5%.), itching (53.4%), exudates of colorless fluid from nipples (53.0); exudates of whitish fluid from nipples (50.2%), and oiliness around the areolae and nipples (43.8%). When the participants discovered gynecomastia, the typical health-seeking behaviour was going to an orthodox health centre. The IDIs revealed that gynecomastia is common and those affected experienced mild stigmatitation. It was disclosed that homosexuals show more interest in persons with gynecomastia. Gynecomastia is a common condition among male secondary school students in Minna. Individual and group counseling services are needed to ensure that those affected are well- adjusted and are protected from sex-offenders.