Co-author Prof Colum Dunne, Director of Research at the Graduate Entry Medical School, UL, told IMT it was “worrying” that people who by definition had undergone a quality secondary education were still “relatively unfamiliar with many of the risks associated with sexual activity”.
The study, involving 419 mostly undergraduate students at UL, is believed to be the first investigation of awareness and knowledge of STIs among university students specifically. Some 90.7 per cent of respondents were sexually active and 10.3 per cent had contracted STIs.
Some 74.2 per cent of respondents remembered receiving sex education in secondary school and 84 per cent of those found it useful, but only 51.8 per cent remembered education on STIs.
A total of 91 per cent considered condoms to be adequate protection against STIs and pregnancy, while 51 per cent believed the same about the oral contraceptive pill. Knowledge of the emergency pill was “lacking”, noted the authors, with 72.7 per cent believing it must be taken within the first 24 hours. Additionally, 10.2 per cent were unsure whether it was possible to contract an STI from oral sex.
Moreover, while 82.8 per cent stated that sex without a condom was irresponsible, significant levels of risky behaviour were reported: in the prior two years, 86 per cent had had oral sex, 69 per cent vaginal sex and 19 per cent anal sex without a condom.
According to Prof Dunne, a reluctance to attend either the university health clinic or local GP for medical treatment/testing in the event of a suspected STI was another aspect to emerge from the study and only 22.6 per cent had accessed a family planning clinic, sexual health clinic or GP for advice regarding sex.
Prof Dunne said a key issue was the “comfort level” of students in accessing those services.
The concerns identified were a snapshot of a particular cohort that would be reflective of students in other third-level institutions, he believed.
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