Sexual activity, knowledge and contraceptive usage by gender among university students in Turkey

Abstract

Objective To assess sexual activity and contraceptive knowledge and practice by gender among university students.

Methods Descriptive and cross-sectional study conducted at Ege University, Turkey, with 1000 volunteering students. Data collection was stopped when 500 students of each gender had participated.

Results Of the surveyed students, 50.3% (27.4% female, 73.2% male) reported having had sexual intercourse; the mean age at first sexual intercourse was 18.4 years for girls and 16.9 years for boys. We found that 44.5% of female and 30.6% of male students failed to use contraception at their first coitus, whereas 2.2% of female and 13.7% of male students failed to do so at their most recent intercourse. The rate of condom usage for students' first sexual encounter was 50.1% (35.8% female, 55.5% male) and was 67.8% (70.1% female, 66.9% male) at their most recent intercourse. Abortion was mentioned by 43.9% of female and 39.2% of male students as a method of preventing pregnancy after unprotected coitus.

Conclusion Male Turkish students had started sexual relations at a younger age but had less often unprotected first sex than female students.

Keywords:

• Contraception
• Sexual life
• University students
• Turkey

Declaration of interest: The authors report no conflict of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.