Jennifer Mendoza
Research expert covering health, pharma and medtech
Sexual health in Nigeria - statistics & facts
Sexual health is defined by the World Health Organization as a state of physical, mental, and social well-being related to sexuality. Various aspects can influence an individual's sexual experiences, such as sex education, cultural environment, diseases, as well as family and the social context in which a person grows up. In Nigeria, one of the major influences on public health is the spread of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and, in particular, human immunodeficiency viruses (HIV). The proportion of people infected by HIV in Nigeria is not among the highest overall, but through its very large population, the number of people living with HIV is high. Indeed, Nigeria registers some of the highest numbers of AIDS-related deaths in the world.
