ABSTRACT

This study accessed knowledge and preventive behaviour of sexually transmitted infections among secondary school students in Oredo local government area of Edo state. Three (3) research questions and two hypotheses guided the study, providing valuable insights into the knowledge of sexually transmitted infections among secondary school students in Oredo LGA and the sexual preventive behaviours among secondary school student in Oredo LGA.

The population of the study consisted of 26,102 students in 14 senior secondary schools in Oredo Local Government Area, the convenient sampling technique was used to select 300 students from the 14 senior secondary schools in Oredo Local Government Area. A structured questionnaire was used to retrieve data from the respondents.

The findings of the study were as follows; The knowledge of sexually transmitted infections among secondary school students in Oredo LGA is high.There is a mix of both preventive and risky sexual behaviors among secondary school students in Oredo Local Government Area, with a cluster mean of 1.71 indicating a generally agreeable stance towards sexual preventive behaviors.Knowledge influences the sexual preventive behaviour among secondary school student in Oredo LGA.There is no significant difference on the knowledge of sexually preventive behaviour by ageThere is no significant difference in the sexual preventive behaviour of secondary school students by ageBased on the findings of this study, the following recommendations are proposed:Develop and implement a comprehensive sexual health curriculum tailored to the needs of secondary school students in Oredo LGA. This curriculum should cover topics such as STIs, contraception, healthy relationships, consent, and decision-making skills.Provide training and professional development opportunities for teachers to effectively deliver sexual health education in schools. Equipping teachers with the knowledge and skills to facilitate open and non-judgmental discussions about sexual health can enhance the effectiveness of educational interventions.