Protective Sexual Behaviors and Their Motives, in University Students in the Health Area

Abstract

Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and unwanted pregnancy (UP) are becoming a problem that affects significantly the younger segment of the population so, not only in the aspect of health, but in the development of its future life both emotional and school and work. Despite easy access to information, young people still have risky sexual practices. This research highlights protective practices with the aim of developing information and training tools that help them avoid risky behaviors that lead to dangerous situations in health and its future. It was a descriptive study with students who have recently entered of the Faculty of Medicine enrolled in school cycle in 2015 in the bachelor’s degree in Medicine and surgery, Nutrition and dietetics, and Rehabilitation programs who agreed to participate by letter of informed consent to respond to the Instrument for the Evaluation of Psychological Variables and Sexual Risk Behaviors. There were 221 participants, 166 in Medicine and surgery, 28 in Nutrition and dietetics, and 27 in Rehabilitation with an average of 18.6 years, 51% male and 49% female. A protective behavior was not having had sex with penetration (72.3%), due to wanting to have them with whom they are in love and to avoid STIs more frequently in female; another protective behavior was not having had oral sex with occasional partners or unprotected sex workers (15.4%); the reasons were to have wanted to use and that the couple asked him to use it, to avoid sexually transmitted infections because the couple’s sexual history is unknown. Regarding the likelihood of having sexual penetration (SP), participants who have not had it were found that: the men had less possibility to inquire about their partner’s sexual history, to reject the proposal to have SP and to refuse caresses in sensitive areas of the woman’s body; when asked about the likelihood of asking your partner to use a condom in their sexual relations, both men and women agreed that it would be quite likely that they would do so, more frequently in women. It concludes by emphasizing that prevention remains the cheapest, easiest, most reliable and safest tool against STIs and UP.