Perception of undergraduate university students towards sexually transmitted diseases: A qualitative study

Abstract 

Background

University students as young adult population are reportedly at higher risk for HIV infection than the general population. The objective of this study was to explore the perceptions of undergraduate university students towards the sexual transmitted diseases (STDs).

Methods

An in-depth interview was conducted among 26 university students. The participants were selected randomly from their respective faculty.

Results

Most of the participants (73%) heard about the STDs. The majority of the participants (65%) also knew about the causes of STDs. Less than half of the participants (46%) considered the sexual intercourse as the common mode of the transmission of STDs. Multiple sex partners and prostitute as the most risk at groups were respectively mentioned by 27% and 15% of the participants. More than half (57.7%) and less than half (42.3%) of the participants respectively mentioned practice of safe sex by using condom and public education as preventive measures of STDs infection.

Conclusions

Most of the participants heard about STDs, knew about the causes and some of the preventive measures. However, more than half of the participants did not know about the mode of the transmission of STDs as well as the high risk groups of STDs.

Keywords:  STDs , University students , Qualitative

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