Assessment of Awareness of High-Risk Sexual Activities in Male Students of a Medical University
Awareness of high-risk sexual activities
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Background: High-risk sexual activities are a major social concern. Thus, the present study was conducted with the aim to assess the awareness of male medical students regarding high-risk sexual behaviors.
Methods: This cross-sectional study was performed on 86 male students who had been studying at Shahid Beheshti University in 2018-19. We used a researcher-made checklist. The demographic information of students and their knowledge of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), STD treatments and prevention methods, and human papillomavirus (HPV) were assessed. They were also asked about their Gardasil and Hepatitis B vaccination stage. The collected data were analyzed in SPSS software.
Results: We found that 58.1% of students were sexually active. Moreover, 37.25% of them reported receiving sex education from their parents or at schools. Although 93% of students knew at least one contraceptive device, 20.9% of them had experienced high-risk sexual relationships, which is significantly high. However, none of the students had acquired an STD. In addition, 89.0% and 75.0% of students had knowledge of STDs and their prevention methods, respectively. 68.19% of students had knowledge about HPV. Students were well informed about vaccines against STDs; however, only 18.6% of them were vaccinated.
Conclusion: Overall, students were well informed. A considerable number of them had experienced high-risk sexual activities. It seems that our high rates are due to the fact that we only assessed medical students. We recommend that authorities in the education system reconsider their attitude toward this issue and include sex education in the medical education curriculum in order to prevent these infections.
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