Such risky behaviors lead to an increase in the incidences of

STDs (including HIV), unsafe and illegal abortion, adolescent pregnancy and motherhood, single mother child/abandoned child, juvenile delinquency and many more [26]. The use of kerosene for the above purpose has however not been backed scientifically. Several studies have shown that accidental ingestion of kerosene results in toxic effects [27], [28], [29] and [30]. Since T is known to regulate libido [6] and [31], we hypothesized that if kerosene indeed reduces libido, then it might mediate its effects through modulation of T levels. A reduction in plasma levels has been associated with reduced sexual drive [32]. Further, increase in T has also been associated with aggressive tendencies [33], [34] and [35].We therefore investigated the learn more effects of dietary crude kerosene supplementation on the plasma levels of this hormone and aggression behavior selleckchem in a rat animal model. Our results indicate that there was no change in the T level following acute (1st seven days) supplementation (Fig. 2). However, the trend changed drastically

following continued prolonged (chronic) administration. Both the low dose and high dose groups showed an upwards trend with an overall increase of serum T levels of up to 66% in the low dose and 75% increase in the high dose groups respectively by the end of the treatment period (Fig. 2). The levels were on an upward trajectory even at the end of study suggesting that longer durations of supplementation are more likely to result in even higher increases in T levels. It can be inferred therefore that initial (acute) dietary supplementation Lck with kerosene in boarding school has no effects on blood T levels among students. On the contrary, prolonged (chronic) use over the extended schooling years may with time result in elevated levels of T among students with the concomitant increase in desire for sexual activity. This result associating kerosene supplementation to increase levels of serum T may in part explain the rising cases of premature sexual activity leading to high cases of sexually transmitted infections, unwanted sex

and teenage pregnancy [14] and [15]. As indicated earlier, evidence has shown that high levels of T are also associated with aggressive tendencies [33], [34] and [35]. It was interestingly observed that animals on kerosene supplementation displayed increasing aggression over the study period. The higher kerosene dose group displayed even higher levels of aggression during and immediately after either kerosene supplementation or bleeding. This corroborates the findings by Olweus et al. [36] and [37] in a study where it was noted that adolescent boys with higher T levels were not only more likely to engage in aggressive behavior but under conditions of threat or unfair treatment (provocation), they were shown to be more likely to be aggressive.