Background: Incarceration does not vitiate
sexual desire. Therefore, sexual activities occur behind bars, regardless of
the stringent rules in correctional institutions. However, little has been
documented about risky sexual behaviors, determinants, and experiences among
inmates of correctional institutions in Katsina State, Nigeria. The study
determined the sexual practices, prevalence, and determinants of risky sexual
behaviors among prison inmates in Katsina. Methodology: A descriptive cross-sectional design with concurrent mixed methods of data
collection was used to interview 216 inmates using a semi-structured
questionnaire supplemented with 22 in-depth interviews. Result: Most (94%) respondents were male, almost half (44.4%) had secondary education,
more than half (55.1%) were engaged in business or trading before
incarceration, and the majority (75.9%) were awaiting trial. Nearly all inmates
(98.6%) reported having sexual desire. Drug use (80.1%) and unprotected sex
(79.2%) were quite common but sexual violence was low (7.4%). The number of
sexual partners of respondents remained a significant predictor of sexual
activity. Inmates who had one (1) or no sexual partner were 64% less likely to
engage in risky sexual activity within the confines of the prison (AOR = 0.36,
95% CI = 0.20 - 0.63, p = 0.01). Qualitative interviews revealed the denial of
occurrence of sexual activity in prison despite sexual desire felt by inmates; loneliness,
poverty, and curiosity as motives for sexual relations; denial of occurrence of
sexual violence in prison; and drug use and use of unsterilized sharps as risky
sexual behaviors. Conclusion: Despite the
disciplinary action meted out on inmates, prisoners still engaged in a range of
risky sexual behaviors. Conjugal visitations for
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