KNOWLEDGE AND PERCEPTION OF RISKS RELATED TO SEXUALLY TRANSMISSIBLE INFECTIONS AMONG YOUNG UNIVERSITY STUDENTS

• Main Authors: Vinícius Rodrigues Fernandes da Fonte, Thelma Spindola, Adriana Lemos, Márcio Tadeu Ribeiro Francico, Claudia Silvia Rocha Oliveira
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Universidade Federal do Paraná 2018-09-01
• Series: Cogitare Enfermagem
• Subjects: Sexually transmitted disease; Knowledge; Sexual behavior; Young adult; Nursing
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.5380/ce.v23i3.55903

Objective: To analyze knowledge about Sexually Transmitted Infections and its influence on the perception of risk among university students. Method: Cross-sectional study, conducted in a private university in Rio de Janeiro, with 768 students aged 18-29 years. A questionnaire was used for data collection. Data analysis was performed with the aid of SPSS software, and Pearson’s chi-square test and e analysis of variance were applied. Results: The young university students had below-average knowledge of sexually transmitted infections. Regarding risk perception, the participants said they believed it was impossible or somewhat possible only that they were infected by STDs. Conclusion: The knowledge of university students about the transmission of sexually transmitted infections was lower than expected and could therefore reflect their low perception of the risk of infections.