Abstract:
Background: Risky sexual behaviors are the major factors in rising sexually transmitted infections among adolescents
and young adults. In Ethiopia construction industry is on increasing and deriving young people from rural area to the
cities. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of risky sexual behaviour and factors associated
with among construction workers. Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted in March 2012 among construction
workers in Bahir Dar city. The analysis was carried out using SPSS version 16. The data were analyzed in bivariate and
multivariate logistic regression. Result: The prevalence of risky sexual behavior among construction workers was
44.9%. Female workers were about four times more likely to have had risky sexual practices than males (AOR = 3.86,
95% CI: 2.34 - 6.37). Respondents whose educational level less than fourth grade were 12 times more likely to be engaged
in risky
sex
than
whose
educational
level
tenth
grade
or
more
(AOR
= 12.13,
95% CI:
1.84 - 79.78).
Divorced
individuals
were
about
five
times more
likely
to
have
had
risky
sexual
activities
than
married
individuals
(AOR = 4.63,
95%
CI:
1.32
-
16.12).
Respondents
whose
first
sexual
commencement
from 15 - 19
years were
about three times
more
likely
to
have had
risky
sexual
behavior
than
from
20 - 24
years
(AOR
=
2.89,
95%
CI:
1.70
-
4.91).
Besides,
the
odds
of
having
risky
sexual
behaviour
among
construction
workers
who
had
sexual
partner
at
the
time
of
the
study
were
about
0.6
times
less
likely
to
have
had
risky
sexual
behaviours
than
workers
who
did
not
have
(AOR
= 0.6,
95%
CI:
0.38,
0.96).
Conclusion:
The
prevalence
of
risky
sexual behavior
among
construction
workers
was 44.9%.
Variables
such
as
sex,
educational
level,
marital
status,
age
at
first
sexual
intercourse,
presence
of
current
sexual
partner
and
casual
sex
were
found
to
be independent
predictors
of
risky
sexual
behaviour.
Therefore,
interventions
targeting
on these
factors
were recommended.
