An Assessment of exposure to internet pornography and associated risky sexual behavior among undergraduate students of Benue State University, Makurdi, Nigeria

Background: Pornography remains an elusive concept and disproportionate numbers of young people continue to view the websites despite the effects it has on their psychological, emotional and cognitive development. Objective: This study aimed to determine the prevalence of exposure/access to internet pornography and its influence on sexual behavior of undergraduate students of the Benue State University, Makurdi, Nigeria. Methods: A cross sectional descriptive study was employed to study 280 undergraduate students, via structured self–administered questionnaires. Ethics were adhered to as the human dignity of the participants was respected. Multiple logistic regressions were performed to investigate independent predictors that had significant chi-square at P < 0.05. Results: Exposure to pornography amongst the respondents started as early as 10 years; 46.94% of them who had initial exposure continued to view the websites, 21.7% viewed the internet pornography on a frequent basis. Majority (88.0%) of them practiced what they watched, 71.4% became addicted to sex, and 56.4% record the video and send to friends/colleagues. The exposed respondents are about 2.8 times more likely to practice risky sexual behaviors as compared to those not exposed {(OR-2.819 (95% CI = 0.0292 - 0937) p= 0.029), and or group sex {(OR- 0.444 (95% CI = 0.9.782 – 7.584) p= 0.000). The fun of the porn, seeking for sexual partners, knowledge of knowing how to make love, and sexual arousal were thecom-mon contributing factors to viewing pornography. Conclusion: Access to pornography and negative health behavior among the undergraduate students will presumably remain unrestrained if not promptly addressed. It is therefore important to offer youth friendly centers for discussing pornography in order to counterbalance the fictional world presented in pornography.