Prevalence of Premarital Sex among Adolescents in Kulende, Sango in Ilorin South Local Governmrnt Area, Kwara State, Nigeria

Premarital sex is explained as a penetrative vaginal or anal sexual intercourse performed between couples before formal marriage. It is characterized as being unanticipated, unpredictable, inconsistence with values and personality, uncontrollable and becoming the common feature of adolescents. This study investigated (i) peer pressure and (ii) poor parents‑adolescent communications as factors influencing premarital sex among adolescents in Kulende, Sango, Ilorin South Local Government Area, Kwara State, Nigeria. A descriptive research design of survey type was employed for this study. The population for the study comprised of all Adolescents in Kulende, Sango, Ilorin South Local Government Area, Kwara State, Nigera. A multistage sampling technique was used for the study. Simple random sampling technique was used to select four two hundred (200) respondents for the study. Researcher’s designed structured questionnaire which was validated by four experts from the Departments of Health Promotion and Environmental Health Education; University of Ilorin. A correlation co‑efficient of .75r was obtained through test re‑test method using Pearson Product Moment Correlationon respondents outside the study sample. Data collection was conducted by the researchers and four trained research assistants. The two postulated null hypotheses were tested using the inferential statistics of chi‑square @0.05 alpha level. The finding of this study revealed that i. Peer Pressure influenced premarital sex among adolescents in Kulende, Sango, Ilorin South Local Government Area, Kwara State, Nigeria with the calculated chi‑square (ᵪ2) value of 159.842 is greater than the table chi‑square (ᵪ2) value of 16.92 at the freedom (df) 9 @ 0.05 alpha level and ii. Poor Parents‑adolescents communications influenced premarital sex among adolescents in Kulende, Sango, Ilorin South Local Government Area, Kwara State with the calculated chi‑square (ᵪ2) value of 165.853 is greater than the table chi‑square (ᵪ2) value of 16.92 at the freedom (df) 9 @ 0.05 alpha level. Based on the findings of the study it was concluded that peer pressure and poor parents‑adolescent communication influenced premarital sex among adolescents in Kulende, Sango, Ilorin South Local Government Area, Kwara State, Nigeria. Therefore,it was recommended that i. teachers and school guardians should sensitize their students on the influence of peers in the engagement of adolescents in premarital sex and ii. parents and guardians should take it as their responsibility to create an intimacy, a good relationship and communication skills with their children as this will limit adolescent’s early exposure to premarital sex.