Determination of the behavioral counseling needs of Çukurova Universitymedical students on sexually transmitted infections

Aim: This study aimed to determine medical students' behavioral counseling needs regarding sexually transmitted infections (STI). Material and Method:a questionnaire of 55 questions, including the form created by surveying the literature and the E-Health Literacy Scale, was applied to all students studying at Çukurova University Faculty of Medicine in the 2021-2022 academic year who agreed to participate in this study. Results: Out of the 410 participants witha mean age of 21.9±2.7 years, 55.9% were female, and 33.6% hada partner. The sexually active students were 32.9% (n=135); when evaluated in terms of increased risk, 4.6% of them had intercourse without usinga condom in the last year, and 10.5% of them or their partners had tested for STI. It was determined that 2.9% had an STI diagnosis/treatment, and 16.8% had intercourse with three or more partners. The percentage of sexually active students who defined their level of knowledge about STIs as 'poor' was 16.3, 'moderate' was 45.2%, and 'high' was 38.5%. The sexually active participants who do not want to receive education on this topic were 4.5%; on the other hand, 34.1% of them stated that they wanted to receive education through brochures, books, etc., 29.6% preferred education through the internet, 45.9% wanted to receive education through individual education/counseling and 54.1% wanted to receive education through group training/counseling. The percentage of the participants who reported that they had experienced some problems related to their sexual health up to date was 15.9%. The rate of participants whose e-health literacy level was calculated as 28.1±5.0 was 71.7%, and they stated that it is crucial for them to access health resources over the internet, and 65.4% found the internet helpful in making decisions about their health. The percentage of the participants who would prefer to obtain information from the internet if they hada sexual health problem was 53.2%. Conclusion: Findings that one out of every three students are sexually active and therefore need behavioral counseling and that almost all of them want to receive sexual education/counseling reveal the necessity of appropriate interventions in this regard. In the initiatives to be planned, it is recommended to consider the findings of high internet usage rates and e-health literacy levels of students in health. Keywords: Family practice, sexual education/counseling, sexually transmitted diseases, medical student