Sexual health knowledge, sources of information, and associated attitudinal disconnects among university students

The aim of this study was to evaluate university students' knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors regarding sexual and reproductive health.

This cross-sectional study was conducted using face-to-face questionnaires administered on a voluntary basis to university students aged 18-26 presenting to the Muğla Sıtkı Koçman University Kötekli No. 4 Family Health Center. Data were analyzed using International Business Machines Statistical Package for the Social Sciences Statistics version 26.0. Associations between categorical variables were evaluated using the chi-square and Fisher's exact tests.

A total of 383 students participated in the study (55.4% female, n=212; 44.6% male, n=171). Of the participants, 42.3% reported having sexual experience, which was significantly higher among males (p=0.002). The most common source of information on sexual and reproductive health was the internet (65.3%). The best-known family planning method was the condom (98.7%). The most commonly known sexually transmitted infection was human ımmunodeficiency virus/acquired ımmunodeficiency syndrome, and the most frequently reported symptom was genital discharge.

University students' level of knowledge regarding sexual and reproductive health is insufficient, and this gap suggests that knowledge alone is insufficient to drive behavior change, and that sociocultural and cognitive barriers-such as stigma, perceived norms, and risk misperception-play a mediating role.