Does knowledge about sexually transmitted infections increase the likelihood of consistent condom use?

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Epidemiology
• Sexual Health Education

Background:

• Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) pose a significant health risk to university students.
• Understanding the factors influencing consistent condom use is crucial for STI prevention strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between knowledge of STIs and consistent condom use among university students.
• To control for socio-demographic factors in the analysis of this association.

Main Methods:

• An anonymous questionnaire survey was administered to 720 undergraduate students at the University of Tirana, Albania.
• Data collected included socio-demographics, STI knowledge (10 multiple-choice questions), sexual activity, and condom use.
• Binary logistic regression analysis was employed to determine the independent association between STI knowledge and condom use.

Main Results:

• A significant overall association was found between knowledge about STIs and consistent condom use (OR = 1.74, P < 0.001).
• An interaction effect was observed between knowledge and parental education (P = 0.04).
• The association was stronger among students with highly educated parents (OR = 1.48, P = 0.01) and particularly pronounced among those with low-to-middle educated parents (OR = 4.75, P < 0.01).

Conclusions:

• Knowledge about STIs independently predicts consistent condom use in university students.
• Enhancing STI knowledge should be integrated into school-based prevention programs.
• Efforts to improve students' sexual practices are essential alongside knowledge augmentation.