Title : Assessing undergraduate students’ sexual practices, perceptions of risk and sources of information
Abstract:
The findings reported here form part of a larger research project that the main aim of this study was to survey the sexual practices and perceptions of risk among undergraduate students attending a tertiary institution in Jamaica. To answer the research questions, a cross-sectional survey research design was used. A total of 541 undergraduate students were selected using the stratified random sampling method. Data were collected through the use of a questionnaire and focus group discussion. The questionnaires data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics while the focus group data were analyzed using thematic analysis. The results showed that 66.4% of the respondents obtained most of their information on sexually transmitted infections from the mass media. More than half of the respondents (67.1%) used condoms during sexual activity and 52.6% stated that they have not changed risky behaviors despite concerns about Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs). The Ministry of Health has instituted STIs campaigns and despite these campaigns the findings showed that only 32.7% of the respondents reported not using condom during sexual intercourse. The findings seem to suggest that there is still much to be done in terms of enlightenment campaigns, because of health hazards associated with risky sexual practices. Based on the findings and their implications the following recommendations were made: the Ministry of Health and the National Family Planning Board should be involved in campaigns that will target parents, schools and churches, to empower them with the tools that will help them to guide their children/relatives who are students about sexual practices and decision making
