Abstract            Volume:8  Issue-10  Year-2020         Original Research Articles

Online ISSN : 2347 - 3215 Issues : 12 per year Publisher : Excellent Publishers Email : editorijcret@gmail.com

The global burden of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) among adolescents remains high. STIs are major public health problems in Ethiopia. Adolescents are at high risk of contracting sexually transmitted diseases than other age groups because of their social norms, varying moral, religious, and cultural settings. This study aimed to assess sexually transmitted infections and associated factors among preparatory school adolescents in Sodo town, Southern, Ethiopia. A cross-sectional study was conducted from Jan 1- Feb 30/ 2018 among 731 adolescents in five preparatory schools. Systematic random sampling was used to recruit study participants. A self-administered structured questionnaire used to collect the data. EpiData manager and client entry version 4.0.0.42 were used for data entry. Statistical analysis was done by using STATA version 12.P-value < 0.05 with 95 % confidence interval (C.I) along with odds ratio (OR) was used to declare statistical associations. A total of 704 study participant’s recruited in the study. The prevalence of STIs was 205 (29.1%). Being male[AOR= 4.1, 95% CI: 1.4-11.7], having multiple sexual partner [AOR=3.0, 95% CI: 1.16-7.88], substance use [AOR= 6.6, 95% CI: 2.5-17.2], parents having primary education [AOR=6.9, 95% CI: 1.0-46.9], knowledge of sexually transmitted infections [AOR= 5.2, 95% CI: 1.9-13.9], and sexual intercourse with commercial sex workers [AOR= 5.5, 95% CI: 1.2-25.9] were associated with STI. Sexually transmitted infections were high among adolescents in this study. It is timely and of high importance to initiate integrated sexual health promotion and sexual health screening. School administration and staff should take the initiative and bring healthy sexual behavior to their students by strengthening anti-STI/HIV and reproductive health clubs.

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