[Risky sexual behavior among university students in health science courses]

To evaluate the sexual behavior of female students enrolled in the Department of Health Science of the Federal University of Paraná and the Department of Biological and Health Scienceof the State University of Paraná at the Cascavel campus.

All the female students, 18 to 24 years of age, enrolled in the above departments in June 2001 were included in the final sample comprised 572 students in Curitiba and 395 in Cascavel. The study evaluated age, family relationship, religiousness, participation in sex education classes and age at initiation of sexual activity. The use of contraceptive methods and condoms, as well as the number of partners, were variables used to evaluate sexual behavior. Safe sex was defined as the use of a condom by monogamous students in all or in the majority of sexual intercourse and the use of condoms by polygamous students during all sexual intercourse. Unsafe sex was defined as the occasional use of condoms by monogamous students and systematic non-use by polygamous students. The data was collected by a self-administered questionnaire. Data analysis was carried out using SPSS and the Pearson and Yates chi-square test, the Wilcoxon-Gehan "p" test, bivariate analysis and logistic regression.

There was no statistically significant difference in the risky sexual behavior between students and the city in which they were studying. Around 50% of the students aged 18 to 20 and 70% of those 21 to 24 years of age were sexually active. Abstinence was associated with lower age, greater attendance at religious services and a good relationship between the student and her parents. The practice of safe sex was directly associated with a lower age and living away from home. Participation in sex education classes was associated with greater abstinence but not with safe sex. This relation was not maintained after multivariate analysis.

A healthy family relationship and religiousness was associated with safe sexual practices. The percentage of students who still practice unsafe sex is considerable and these results show that being a university student in a health science course does not ensure safe sexual behavior.