Vulnerabilidade às infecções sexualmente transmissíveis no contexto universitário

Abstract

The incidence of Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI) is still very high in Brazil, especially infection with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), which has mobilized government and scientific community to control these infections because it is a serious issue for the public’s health. Studies show that in Brazil chlamydia is the most frequent STI and AIDS and syphilis are notifiable since 1986. The objective is to analyze the knowledge, attitudes and behaviors of the university community related to STIs, to support the establishment of a Centre counseling and Testing (CTA) at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN). With a quantitative approach, cross-sectional design, the kind data collection with proportional stratified sampling, totaling 305 self-administered questionnaires, composed of 258 students, 8 teachers and 39 administrative technicians. Participants presented the following profile: most women, youth and adults with high school education, single and Catholics. The results show that participants have a good knowledge of STI / HIV / AIDS, regardless of education, with significant statistical associations between such knowledge and education only for some items, inferring that the minimum level of education presented by the participants was enough to the dissemination of information and knowledge. With regard to behaviors related to sexual health, 84.3% of participants were sexually active, and of these, 15.3% have had sex with people of the same sex. The first sexual intercourse occurred on average at 16 years for men and 19 years for women. It was also found that regardless of the marital status, the majority (82.6%) didn´t use condom with fixed partners. When the partner was casual, condom use was most often reported (36.4%). However, 33.8% of people reported not using condoms and even 14.1% did not know or would not tell. There was a significant association between condom use with casual partners and marital status, as 18.9% of married participants and 12.6% with stable, said they used a condom, but 17.5% and 12.6% of those didn´t use. Nearly half of the participants never held an HIV detection test. From 25 years, people start to take the test. However, after 50 years, there is a reversal, and as young people between 16 and 25, again there is a division between those who do and those who have never been tested. Regarding the attitude to HIV infection and AIDS, 80% of participants revealed that have fear to relate to people living with HIV, and this variable was not statistically associated with any demographic characteristics (sex, age, education, religion) or labor (institutional link), allowing us to infer that it is something shared by the participants. Respondents do not bind the HIV infection risk groups such as drug addicts and sex workers or promiscuity, revealing that they know the infection is related to risk behaviors. We conclude that, although the participating university community has knowledge about STI/ HIV / AIDS, behaviors and attitudes are not in line with the same, showing vulnerability.