Vasudev Meghana B, Ballambat Sathish P, Shetty Varsha M
Consultant Dermatologist, Department of Dermatology, THS Hospital, Tumkur, Karnataka, India.
Department of Dermatology, Kasturba Medical College, Manipal, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, Karnataka, India.
Indian Dermatol Online J. 2023 Dec 22;15(1):39-44. doi: 10.4103/idoj.idoj_687_22. eCollection 2024 Jan-Feb.
Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are one of the major public health problems in India with adolescents being a vulnerable section of the affected population. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), one in twenty adolescents contracts an STI every year, excluding the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and other viral infections. It is important to assess the knowledge, attitude, and practices related to STIs among adolescents and young adults of non-medical backgrounds to educate them properly about protective and preventive measures and to allay misconceptions, if any.
This is a cross-sectional study involving 507 engineering students who were asked to fill out the predesigned anonymous questionnaire form. Results were statistically analyzed and tabulated.
Of the 507 students, 375 were males and 132 were females. The mean age of the patients was 20.5 years. HIV was the most commonly identified STI (94.2%), followed by herpes genitalis (76.5%). Around 97.4% and 85.7% identified the sexual route and blood transfusion as the modes of transmission of STIs, respectively. A total of 90.9% said that the Internet was their primary source of information regarding STIs. Infertility and cancer were identified as complications by 59.5% and 25% of them, respectively. Only 23.4% were aware of the National STI Control Program. The results with respect to attitudes and practices related to STIs were variable.
Our study reflects that with change in time, the attitude of young adults toward sexuality is becoming very casual, but knowledge remains low. A lot of educational activities should be undertaken to educate our youth about various aspects of STIs and thus reduce the burden of the disease in the community.
性传播感染（STIs）是印度主要的公共卫生问题之一，青少年是受影响人群中的弱势群体。根据世界卫生组织（WHO）的数据，每年每二十名青少年中就有一人感染性传播感染，不包括人类免疫缺陷病毒（HIV）和其他病毒感染。评估非医学背景的青少年和年轻人对性传播感染的知识、态度和行为非常重要，以便对他们进行适当的保护和预防措施教育，并消除任何误解。
这是一项横断面研究，涉及507名工科学生，他们被要求填写预先设计的匿名问卷。对结果进行了统计分析并制成表格。
在507名学生中，375名是男性，132名是女性。患者的平均年龄为20.5岁。HIV是最常被识别出的性传播感染（94.2%），其次是生殖器疱疹（76.5%）。分别有97.4%和85.7%的人认为性传播途径和输血是性传播感染的传播方式。共有90.9%的人表示互联网是他们获取性传播感染信息的主要来源。分别有59.5%和25%的人认为不孕和癌症是性传播感染的并发症。只有23.4%的人知道国家性传播感染控制项目。关于性传播感染的态度和行为的结果各不相同。
我们的研究表明，随着时间的推移，年轻人对性的态度变得非常随意，但知识水平仍然较低。应该开展大量的教育活动，让我们的年轻人了解性传播感染的各个方面，从而减轻社区中的疾病负担。
