Navigating the Crossroads: Sexual Attitudes, HIV Awareness, and the Need for Targeted Education Among College Students in Southeast Coast China.

Abstract

Abstract Background: College students, as a sexually active group, are particularly vulnerable to the risks of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/ acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) acquisition and transmission. Findings and limitations of previous studies on factors affecting HIV/AIDS-related awareness and sexual attitudes support conducting further research in this study. This study aims to describe and evaluate the extent to which college students with different sexual attitudes understand HIV/AIDS in Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, China, and related factors for HIV/AIDS prevention. Methods: From November to December 2020, an anonymous questionnaire was conducted among 6,000 college students in Wenzhou, China to assess their sexual attitudes and knowledge towards HIV/AIDS. Descriptive statistics, Chi-square test, and logistic regression were used to analyze the factors affecting HIV/AIDS-related knowledge and sexual attitudes. We also performed a subgroup analysis on sexual attitudes. Results: A total of 5,627 valid questionnaires were included in our analysis, with an effective rate of 93.8%. The participants’ rate of HIV/AIDS-related awareness was 80.2%. Regarding sexual attitudes, 4,098 (72.8%) students held conservative views, while the rest (27.2%) held more open views. Among conservative students, seniors (AOR=1.12, 95%CI 1.01-1.23) and those with better health education (AOR=1.50, 95%CI 1.28-1.76) had higher HIV/AIDS knowledge. Conversely, rural students had lower HIV/AIDS knowledge (AOR=0.79, 95%CI 0.67-0.94). Additionally, in the open groups, students with better health education (AOR=1.21, 95%CI 1.11, 1.31) demonstrated higher levels of HIV/AIDS-related knowledge, whereas rural students (AOR=0.67, 95%CI 0.51, 0.89) showed lower HIV/AIDS knowledge. Conclusion: A significant portion of college students still possessed a permissive and hazardous sexual mindset and demonstrated a lack of HIV/AIDS-related knowledge. It’s crucial to hunt for ways to level students’ awareness of HIV/AIDS and provide them with more comprehensive sex education.