Mental health correlates of HIV risk behaviour and STIs/HIV infection among university students from 22 low, middle and high income countries

Abstract

The aim of this study was to determine mental health correlates of HIV risk behaviour and self-reported STIs/HIV infection among university students in 22 low, middle and high income countries. Data on mental health and HIV risk were collected from 16 567 undergraduate university students (mean age 20.9, SD = 2.9) from 23 universities in 22 countries across Asia, Africa and the Americas. Results indicate that overall 16.8% of the students had two or more sexual partners in the past 12 months, and among the sexually active, 73.7% had inconsistently used a condom in the past three months with their primary sexual partner, 3.2% had ever been diagnosed with a sexually transmitted infection (STI) and 0.6% had been diagnosed with HIV. In multivariate logistic regression poorer mental health and child abuse (physical and sexual) were associated with HIV risk behaviour, and child abuse (physical and sexual) was associated with STI and HIV positive diagnoses.

Predictors of self‐reported sexually transmitted infections among Turkish university students

“…Sexually active female university students were more likely to acquire at least one STI in comparison to their male counterparts. Although it is difficult to make a direct comparison between findings of our study and previous studies due to methodological differences or sample characteristics, many studies in the relevant literature show that being female is a significant predictor variable on STI acquisition, thus females are more likely to acquire STI 26–28 . Biological and physiological factors may play a role in the higher risk of STI acquisition among women.…”

Associations of physical partner violence and sexual violence victimization on health risk behaviours and mental health among university students from 25 countries

“…Sexual risk behaviour included "two or more sexual partners in the past 12 months", "alcohol use in the context of sex in the past 3 months", "history of having been diagnosed with a sexually transmitted infection (STI)", "diagnosed with HIV" and "ever made someone pregnant/been pregnant" [31].…”

Prädiktoren für selbstberichtete sexuell übertragbare Infektionen bei türkischen Universitätsstudenten

“…Im Vergleich zu ihren männlichen Kommilitonen, war die Wahrscheinlichkeit an mindestens einer STI zu erkranken bei sexuell aktiven Universitätsstudentinnen höher. Obwohl ein direkter Vergleich zwischen den Ergebnissen unserer Studie und früheren Studien aufgrund methodischer Unterschiede und der Stichprobeneigenschaften schwierig ist, zeigen viele Studien in der relevanten Literatur, dass weibliches Geschlecht eine signifikante Vorhersagevariable für eine STI‐Erkrankung ist und Frauen dementsprechend eher an einer STI erkranken 26–28 . Möglicherweise spielen biologische und physiologische Faktoren beim höheren Risiko von Frauen an einer STI zu erkranken eine Rolle.…”

“…Peltzer und Pengpid 27 stellten in einer Studie an Universitätsstudenten aus 22 verschiedenen Ländern, einschließlich der Türkei, fest, dass Männer mehr Partner hatten. Sexuelle Doppelmoral basierend auf Ungleichheit der Geschlechter ist in der türkischen Gesellschaft immer noch stark ausgeprägt 39 .…”