High-risk sexual behavior among heterosexual undergraduates at a midwestern university
Reinisch, J.M.; Sanders, S.A.; Hill, C.A.; Ziemba-Davis, M.
Family Planning Perspectives 24(3): 116-21 145
1992
ISSN/ISBN: 0014-7354 PMID: 1628714 DOI: 10.2307/2135541Document Number: 321332
593 heterosexual undergraduate college students from Indiana University,Bloomington, self-selected by advertising, were surveyed on high-risk sexual practices. 73.4% were female, ages ranged from 18 to 51, mean 21.1. Only sexually experienced students' results were analyzed. Questionnaires were checked for consistency to screen out bias, misunderstanding, or exaggeration. 33% of males and 35% of females reported they were not in a relationship; 48% of males and 55% of females said they were in an exclusive relationship; 19% of males and 10% of females said they were in nonexclusive relationships. There was an average of 4.1 and 3.4 years since sexarche for males and females, 5.7 years on average for men in nonexclusive relationships. Mean age for 1st vaginal intercourse was 17.1 for males and 17.0 for females. The mean frequencies of vaginal intercourse were 65.2 and 51.4 in the last year for males and females. Those in exclusive relationships averaged 83.8; those in nonexclusive relationships, 45.0; and those not in relationships, 17.7. Data on the last month followed the same trend. Anal intercourse was experienced by 17% of men and 22% of women, by significantly more women (40.0%) in nonexclusive relations. 33.3% of males, but only 2.4% of females, had anal intercourse 11 or more times in the last year. The mean number of sexual partners was 11.2 for men and 5.6 for women, highest for men in sexually nonexclusive relationships. Thus the majority of these students in a politically moderate to conservative region of the US had engaged in risky sexual behaviors for sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), AIDS, and pregnancy. While serial "monogamy" is the rule in this age-group, only 1/2 of these students were in exclusive relations. It is noted in the discussion that 20% had STDs, over 33% used either no contraception or a method that provides o protection from STDs, and fewer than 33% used condoms. The students appeared to be more concerned about pregnancy than infection, and seemed to believe that they were not at risk for HIV. It would be a good strategy to encourage exclusive sexual relationships in college students to lower their AIDS risk.