Core group approach to identify college students at risk for sexually transmitted infections

Abstract

OBJECTIVE:To analyze the core group for sexually transmitted infections (STI) among college students. METHODS:Cross-sectional study carried out in a convenience sample comprising 711 college students of the public university of Morelos, Mexico, between 2001 and 2003. Sociodemographic and sexual behavior information were collected using self-applied questionnaires. Herpes simplex 2 (HSV-2) infection was tested in the blood. The number of sexual partners in the last year and cocaine consumption were used as indicators to construct the dependent variable "level of STI risk" in three categories: low, medium and high risk (core group). A multinomial analysis was conducted to evaluate whether different sex behaviors were associated with the variable "level of STI risk". RESULTS:There was signifi cant association between HSV-2 seroprevalence and the variable "level of STI risk": 13%, 5.6% and 3.8% were found in high (core group), medium and low categories, respectively. There were gender differences regarding the core group. Men started having sexual intercourse earlier, had more sex partners, higher alcohol and drug consumption, higher frequency of sex intercourse with sex workers, exchanging sex for money, occasional and concurrent partners compared to women. CONCLUSIONS:The study findings suggest existing contextual characteristics in the study population that affect their sex behavior. In Mexico, the cultural conception of sexuality is determined mainly by gender differences where men engage in higher risky sexual behavior than women.

Health vulnerabilities: the diagnosis of freshmen from a portuguese university

“…Also, although the young students are aware that health is the foundation of quality of life, they demonstrate little concern with risk behaviors for health. [12][13] Different studies highlight that the risk behaviors acquired in the college phase tend to perpetuate in adulthood and that the health attitudes established in youth can entail important impacts for the occurrence of future illnesses. 10 In a study undertaken in 13 European countries (Belgium, England, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal and Spain), between 1990 and 2000, it was verified that, despite the knowledge about healthy habits, the students health-related lifestyles became less healthy due to the reduction in the level of physical exercise and the increased consumption of hardly nutritive foods.…”