Reduction in Sexual Risk Behaviors among College Students following a Comprehensive Health Education Intervention

Abstract

Sexually active college students are at risk of contracting sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV infection. As a result, health education initiatives to prevent these infections are commonplace, but few controlled research studies have evaluated behavioral changes as a result of on-campus sex education. In a nonrandomized control trial, sexual risk behaviors of 341 students who had received a comprehensive health education intervention in a first-year seminar were compared with 227 students who were not enrolled in the seminar. The seminar curriculum included an intervention addressing facts about sexually transmitted diseases, safer sex, values, decision making, and assertiveness skills. Sexual abstinence (no sexual intercourse), number of sexual partners, consistent condom use, and methods of contraception were assessed at baseline and after 3 months. Compared with students who had not received the intervention, men in the seminar reported increased sexual abstinence but no change in consistent condom use; the women in the intervention group reported no change in sexual abstinence but an increase in consistent condom use. Women who had not received the intervention reported never using a condom more frequently than women who had received the intervention. The health education intervention on a college campus was associated with short-term reduction in sexual risk behaviors, but the reduction varied according to the students' gender.

An Evaluation of a Brief HIV/AIDS Prevention Intervention for College Students Using Normative Feedback and Goal Setting

“…In some studies examining the rate of condom use among college students, males have reported more consistent condom use than females (e.g., Bazargan, Kelly, Stein, Husaini, & Bazargan, 2000;Winfield & Whaley, 2002), but in other studies no such gender difference has been found (e.g., Hawkins, Gray, & Hawkins, 1995). Some studies have found a greater tendency for women to reduce their number of sexual partners as a risk reduction strategy (e.g., Hawkins, Gray, & Hawkins, 1995), whereas other studies have failed to find this difference (e.g., O'Leary et al, 1996;Turner et al, 1993). In this study, we hypothesized that men would report higher rates of condom use, largely because of the additional burden on women of having to persuade their male sexual partners to use condoms.…”

“…The sexual experimentation, partner change, peer influence, and use of alcohol and drugs characteristic of young adults in their late teens and 20s have made college students potentially vulnerable to infection (MacDonald et al, 1990). For this reason, college students have been the subjects of empirically tested HIV prevention interventions using educational strategies (e.g., O'Leary, Jemmott, Goodhart, & Gebelt, 1996;Turner et al, 1994;Turner, Korpita, Mohn, & Hill, 1993) and skills training in condom use, assertiveness, and communication (e.g., Basen-Engquist, 1994;Bryan, Aiken, & West, 1996;Franzini, Sideman, Dexter, & Elder, 1990;Sikkema, Winett, & Lombard, 1995).…”

Effects of an Undergraduate HIV/AIDS Course on Students' HIV Risk

“…As with HIV prevention interventions in other populations, college interventions typically target the HIV-related knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors of participants (Basen-Engquist, 1994; Chernoff & Davison, 2005; Swanson et al , 1999; Turner et al , 1994; Turner et al , 1993). Interventions aim to modify the knowledge and attitudes that shape behavioral intentions and behaviors themselves.…”

Strategies for resolving aboriginal adolescent pregnancy in eastern Taiwan

“…2000). The content of such programmes has focused on knowledge of STD or HIV, safer sex techniques, contraceptive methods, communication skills and self‐efficacy (Jemmott et al . 1992, 1993, Kasen et al 1992, Turner et al 1993, Kirby et al .…”