Publications

Early sexual debut among teenagers is a global concern, particularly prevalent in developing countries. This studyaimed to investigate the prevalence and factors associated with early sexual debut among teenage students atKibanda Secondary School in Kiryandongo district, Uganda. A cross-sectional study was conducted, involving 150respondents. Data were collected using self-administered questionnaires and analyzed using IBM SPSS 27.0. Theprevalence of early sexual debut was found to be 20.0%, with predictors including age, sex, caregiver's educationlevel and income, parental history of substance abuse, personal substance abuse, and first sexual partner. Femalerespondents were 2.17 times more likely to have an early sexual debut compared to males, and teenagers with apersonal history of substance abuse were 4.03 times more likely to initiate sex early. Low caregiver education andincome were also associated with early sexual debut. These findings underscore the need for targeted interventionsand education programs to mitigate the risks associated with early sexual initiation among teenagers.Keywords: Early sexual debut, Sexual intercourse, Teenage, Students