Risky Sexual Behaviours and Associated Factors among People with Disabilities in Dessie City

Background: Despite the assumptions that people with disabilities are considered sexually inactive, this group of people is likely to engage in sexual risk behaviours. People with disabilities are the neglected group of population; investigating their sexual behaviour helps to design interventions by the local government and concerned bodies. Therefore, the aim of this study was to study the prevalence and factors associated with risky sexual behaviours among people with disabilities.

Methods: Institutional based Cross-sectional study was conducted in 2013. All disabled individuals who were enrolled as a member of the disability associations in the city were included in the study. Data were collected by pre-tested structured interview questionnaires by trained data collectors. The data were coded, entered, cleaned and analyzed using univariate, bivariate and multivariate analysis with SPSS version 16 soft ware package.

Results: About 301(73.1%) of the respondents were sexually debuted, of which 153(50.8%) were sexually debuted before the age of 18 years and 166(55.1%) reported that they have had more than one sexual partner in the last twelve months. Besides, 32.5% of the study participants reported to have risky sexual behaviours. The age of respondents was a statistically significant predictors of sexual behavior with [(AOR=1.5, 95%CI:0.88-2.57), (AOR=1.54, 95%CI:0.68-3.52) and (AOR=3.1, 95%CI:1.64-5.87)]. Drinking alcohol was another predictors of sexual behaviour where [(AOR=1.72, 95%CI:1.10-2.70)]. Besides educational status and family size were other significant predictors of risky sexual behaviour on multivariable logistic regression with [(AOR= 3.14, 95%CI:1.02- 9.74), AOR=6.31, 95%CI:1.78-22.31), AOR=3.30, 95%CI:1.13- 9.68), and AOR=3.28, 95%CI:1.07-10.10)] and [AOR=1.73, 95%CI:1.10-2.70)] respectively.

Conclusion: People with disabilities were engaged in sexual risk behaviour. Age, alcohol use, educational status, and family size were significant predictors of risky sexual behaviours among people with disabilities on which interventions need to be done by concerned bodies on this vulnerable group of people, especially by labor and social affairs of Ethiopia.