A Survey of Knowledge of Sexually Transmitted Infections among Patients at a Public Hospital in Pulau Pinang, Malaysia

Abstract

Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the patients’ knowledge and awareness of sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Subjects and Methods: A face-to-face interview was conducted among the patients visiting the Venereal Diseases Outpatient Department of the General Hospital of Pulau Pinang (Malaysia). A 19-item questionnaire was used. A total of 116 patients participated in the study and 107 patients had valid responses. The reliability and internal consistency of the questionnaire tool was estimated on the basis of Cronbach’s alpha (= 0.81). The Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS 13.0®) was used for data analysis. Student’s t test and analysis of variance were used to analyse the knowledge differences among the groups. Results: Of the 107 patients, 82 (76.6%) were diagnosed with syphilis; AIDS was the most commonly known STI among the patients. Of the 107 patients, 35 were sexually active and of these 23 (65.7%) had more than 1 sexual partner. The most popular source of knowledge was newspapers (51 patients, 47.7%), with hospitals (3 patients, 2.8%) being the least popular one. Overall mean score on knowledge questions was 12.21 out of the maximum of 33 points. Knowledge about causative organisms, risk groups, transmission, symptoms, prevention and treatment of STIs was inadequate. The knowledge level was significantly related to gender (p = 0.03), religion (p = 0.005), educational level (p = 0.000), marital status (p = 0.000) and income level (p = 0.036). Conclusion: This study demonstrated evidence of poor knowledge of STIs amongst the patients attending an STI service in the General Hospital of Pulau Pinang (Malaysia). Hence there is an immediate need for efforts towards improving patient knowledge of STIs.

Determinants of knowledge on sexually transmitted infections among students in public higher education institutions in Melaka state, Malaysia

“…In general, our findings show that the respondents had adequate knowledge on the control and preventive measures of STIs compared with several previous studies conducted locally among the young population in Malaysia [ 12 – 14 , 23 ]. This could be contributed by the HIV/STI education program that has been carried out.…”

“…In the present study, the mean knowledge score was 24 out of 38 scores (63%) compared to another study conducted among university students in the central zone of Malaysia (53%) [ 13 ] and university students in Thailand (49%) [ 27 ]. While a study conducted among patients who attended a venereal clinic in Malaysia had reported the mean knowledge score of 12 out of 33 (36%) [ 23 ]. The higher knowledge scores observed in our study might be contributed by the recent information received by the participants since all higher education institutions must organize an awareness program on HIV/STI once a year in response to the NSPEA 2016–2030 [ 11 ].…”

“…A validated and reliable self-administered questionnaire used in the study was adapted from several studies [ 12 , 13 , 22 , 23 ]. The questionnaire consisted of three parts.…”

Sexual behaviors and awareness of sexually transmitted infections among Chinese university students

“…The survey instrument was designed based on the STI-related information available on the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and World Health Organization (WHO) websites, discussions with undergraduate and graduate students, review of the scientific literature, and a previous study [11]. Twenty-eight questions (with 142 possible answers) assessed demographic information, attitudes and practice of sex, and knowledge of STIs.…”

“…Such misconceptions are also common among young adults in other developing countries, such as Brazil [24] and Malaysia [11]. As the number of HIV cases in China had reached 346,000 as of 2011 [25], without dedicated educational intervention, some students continue to live with fear of infection, which can also deter the eradication of discrimination against patients with HIV/AIDS.…”