Sexual and reproductive health risk behaviours among Palermo university students: results from an online survey

Aim. Evaluation of the knowledge and behavioral risks related to sexually transmitted infections (STIs) among the students at the University of Palermo. Materials and Methods. Cross-sectional study. An anonymous online questionnaire has been submitted to the students of Palermo University. Survey investigates to socio-demographic information, sexual habits and the level of knowledge of the STIs. Results. The sample consists of 539 students; average age 22.65 (+/- 2.95). The risk to have unprotected occasional sexual intercourse is related to the following circumstances: the homosexual or bisexual status, the male gender, the age of the occurrence of the first sexual intercourse, that is at 17 year or earlier and the circumstance to have contracted a sexually transmitted infection during life. Conclusions. It is necessary to implement sexual education programs aimed at improving the knowledge in terms of STIs and increase of sexual and reproductive health. The findings presented should be interpreted with a degree of caution. Future studies are needed to assess the effectiveness and cost of education programs.