1. Introduction

Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection is one of the most serious and challenging health problems facing the world today. Worldwide, it is estimated that more than 60 million people have been infected since the epidemic began and that more than 20 million have died (UNAIDS, 2004). HIV is a relatively new Virus in humans. Experts believes that the virus initially spread from Monkeys and Chimpanzees to people during the middle of the twentieth century as a result of the trapping, butchering, or eating of the infected Monkeys and Chimpanzees (Insel and Roth, 2006; Moore, 2004).

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) is caused by the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). AIDS appears to be a comparatively new disease, first recognized in 1981 and identified in 1993. The disease, according to Moore (2004), originated in Africa in a virus that affects monkeys. How and when that virus was transmitted to humans remains the subject of controversy. However, the first confirmed case of AIDS appeared in the Congo in 1959, but the disease was very limited (Brannon and Feist, 2007).

Both the numbers of news cases and the number of deaths from AIDS spread during the 1980s. According to Lamptey (2002), AIDS is the deadliest plague in history. About 40 million people were infected by 2001, when these people die, HIV will surpass the number of people killed by the bubonic plague in the 14^th century. Almost 5 million people have acquired HIV infection each year since 2001, extending this plague (UNAIDS, 2004). Despite intensive efforts to find a vaccine that would prevent the disorder, no successful vaccine yet exist, and neither is a cure for now (Sahloff, 2005).

AIDS is a disorder in which the immune system loses its effectiveness, leaving the body defenseless against bacterial, viral, fungal, parasitic, cancerous, and other opportunistic diseases. Without the immune system, the body cannot protect itself against the many organisms that can invade it and cause death. Thus, the danger from AIDS comes from the opportunistic infections that start when the immune system no longer functions effectively.

HIV transmission occur through injection drug use (IDU); through men to men sexual intercourse, through mother to their children during the birth process, and through heterosexual intercourse; the commonest transmission route in Africa and some parts of Asia (Steinbrook, 2004). Young adults are more likely to be infected with HIV than other age groups, largely due to their risk behaviours, lack of information about HIV, and lack of power to protect themselves (UNAIDS, 2004). HIV transmission in rising for male- female sexual contact, with women much more likely than men to be infected through heterosexual route. Of cases for which transmission can be determined, heterosexual contact accounted for only about 2% to 3% of all HIV infections in 1985, but by 2002, heterosexual contact accounted for almost 21% of all HIV infections in the United States (USBC, 2004).

As of 2002, women accounted for slightly more than 21% of AIDS cases in the United States (USBC, 2004). Women in the United States are exposed to HIV infection primarily through two routes of transmission; heterosexual contact (about 63% of cases), and injection drug use (about 35% of cases). Worldwide, the situation differs from that in the United States; women account for 46% of the AIDS cases and half of the deaths, and most are exposed through heterosexual contact (UNAIDS, 2004). Heterosexual contact is the leading source of HIV infection in Africa (UNAIDS, 2004), and the fastest growing source in the United States (CDC, 2004). Sexual transmission accounts for about 80% of HIV infections in Africa (Nordberg, 2007).

Reports showed that adolescents, and young adults, particularly, students were at greater risk of infections with HIV, because at that age, they see themselves as adults and so do what adults do (Osotimehin, 2004). They are sexually active and they are adventurous, and they take drugs (Morgan and King, 1979). Statistics revealed that about 95% of new infections of HIV were in people aged 15-25 years, and that the primary means is heterosexual sex (Osotimehin, 2004).

Students of tertiary institutions live in environments that are favourable to the transmission of HIV. These students live away from home, and as such, they are no longer under the immediate care, control and supervision of their parents or guardians. They enjoy freedom of movement, association, and because they are sexually active young adults they exploit the opportunity of multiple sexual relationship inherent in high concentration of students population.

Observations by the researcher revealed that students in tertiary institutions regard their freedom as what they must explore and enjoy to the fullest, including sexual relationships and living couple’s life, that is, a male and a female living together as married couples for the duration of their courses. It is against this background that (Gesto, 2004) described higher institutions of learning as breeding centres and conduits for HIV/AIDS transmission. To further buttress this point, the high concentration of sexually active young men and women in tertiary institutions of learning who, under the guise of civilization, adventurism, and experimentation, tend to deliberately, and in some cases, do what others do, get involved in drug use, alcoholism, and other high-risk sexual behaviours (Kaplan, et al; 1984, Ajala, 1985).

It is against the backdrop of this information, that it became imperative to investigate the factors which motivate female students of Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba- Akoko in Ondo State to involve themselves in sexual intercourse with the aim of mitigating such factors.

2. Methodology

Ex-post facto survey research design was used for the study. Population comprised all female undergraduates of the University. From the five faculties in the University, 42 respondents each, were randomly selected i.e. 42 from Faculty of Arts, 42 from Faculty of Education, 42 from Faculty of Science, 42 from Faculty of Social and Management Sciences and 42 from Faculty of Law. The resultant 210 purposively selected respondents constituted the sample.

3. Instrument

Self constructed 15 statements which probed the motivating factors of female undergraduate students involvement in sexual intercourse were formulated. The final draft which was approved by a jury of five experts in Health Education, was used for data collection. Responses to the 15 statement items followed the Likert 3 point scale format of Agree, Undecided and Disagree.

4. Data Collection

Two trained research assistants helped the researcher to administer the instrument. Administration of instrument was done in-situ. All the questionnaire forms distributed were retrieved, screened, coded into frequency tables and simple percentage statistic was used for data analysis.

5. Results

Table 1. Data on Age of Respondents

Table 2. Data on Marital Status of Correspondents

Table 3. Data on Motivating Factors to have Sexual Intercourse

6. Discussion

The findings of this study revealed that sexual intercourse thrived among female undergraduate students of Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko. These students engaged in sexual intercourse, according to the findings, to have babies, as a primary need according to nature; for expression of love; for affection; for pleasure; for enjoyment; for mutual satisfaction; for fulfillment of womanhood; for happiness; and to pass examinations; among other reasons.

Some of these underlying factors for having sexual intercourse, which maybe beyond the control of the respondents, directly or indirectly expose them to HIV/AIDS infection. This finding supported (Gesto, 2004) who noted that students in tertiary institutions are sexual active, with many having more than one sexual partner.

The findings also corroborated the observations of the researcher who affirmed that the tendency to have sexual intercourse, and even with multiple sexual partners, become more tempting as a result of high concentration of sexually active young men and women; and because of poor academic performance on the part of some female students, as opined by (Getso, 2004) and (Orubuloye et-al1994). This finding further supported the claim of (Getso, 2004) that higher institutions of learning are breeding centres and conduits for HIV/AIDS transmission.

The implication of this finding was the high rate of HIV/AIDS infection through heterosexual intercourse in Africa. The involvement of female students of Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba Akoko in sexual intercourse supported the assertions of Steinbrook, (2004); UNAIDS, (2004); (CDC, 2004), Nordberg, (2007) and USBC, (2004), that heterosexual intercourse is the leading source of HIV/AIDS infection in Africa.

However, unless the involvement of unmarried female students, according to this study, in pre-marital sexual intercourse is curbed, eradication of HIV/AIDS may be a mirage and difficult, and HIV/AIDS may continue to spread among young people, particularly women. This may be the reason why worldwide, women accounted for 46% of the AIDS cases and half of the deaths, and most were exposed through heterosexual contact (UNAIDS, 2004). And since the respondent female students were also members of the larger society, it may take a while to control the scourge of HIV/AIDS in Sub-Saharan Africa with the attendant human and financial cost.

7. Conclusions and Recommendations

The results of this study showed that sexual intercourse thrived among female undergraduate student of Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko. The findings further revealed that the female students engaged in sexual intercourse for a number of reasons which include: sexual intercourse for having babies, for love; for affection; for pleasure, for enjoyment; for mutual satisfaction among others.

Consequent upon these findings, it was recommended that:

1.Health Education, as a course, should be introduced to all institutions of higher learning, and made compulsory for all students; sex education should feature prominently, with emphasis on HIV/AIDS.

2.Counselling Units, as a matter of urgency, should be established in the University, where counselling services could be made available to all students, particularly, the female ones.

3.Provision of recreational facilities, equipments and supplies are necessary in the school so that opportunities would be available for all students to rewarding recreate themselves during their leisure time.

4.Parents and guardians should rise up to their responsibilities of talking, discussing and advising their children, with emphasis on the female ones, on the need to remain chaste and also the deleterious consequences of promiscuity.