Assessment of Sexual Behavior and Habits of Medical and Non-Medical Students

Abstract

Abstract Introduction/The aim: The aim of this study is the assessment of sexual behavior and habits of medical and non-medical students in Belgrade. The research is designed as cross-sectional study conducted in the period from November until January 2016/2017. An anonymous and standardized questionnaire from the “National Health Survey” research protocol was used and variables of interest were added. A total of 1268 randomly selected students participated, from higher education institutions in Belgrade (College for Health Studies “Milutin Milankovic, Medical College of applied sciences in Zemun, Belgrade, Business Academy and Faculty of Security Studies in Belgrade). Results: Respondents from both groups almost had sexual relations with the opposite sex, although 2.2% of students of medical profession and 1.7% of non-medical profession had sexual relations with the same sex. Condoms are most often contraceptive measures used in both groups, (>40%). The most common reason for not using condom in both groups were partner's trust or reducing pleasure during intercourse (p<0.005 and p<0.851 respectively). Students of non-medical professions comparing to students of medical professions, on the second year of study (7.3% vs 5.5%), and on the third year of study (14.1% vs 2.4%) stated that the reason for not using a condom is the high cost. Conclusions: According to the obtained results, students of medical professions were prone to risky sexual behaviour, despite greater knowledge about reproductive health and risky sexual behaviors. There is a significant need for an evaluation of educational programs about sexual and reproductive health of students from all orientations.