<b>Vulnerability to std/aids among health graduate students: a comparative study between freshmen and seniors</b> - doi: 10.4025/cienccuidsaude.v11i5.17738

Abstract

This study aimed to identify and compare the aspects of individual vulnerability to STD/AIDS among students enrolled in the first and last years of the Nursing and Medical Undergraduate Programs at State University of Londrina. A convenience sample was selected from 263 enrolled students in 2000, and the 183 students who were sexually active (70,4%) had their data assessed. The AIDS Risk Reduction Model framework was used to design the questionnaire, considering a significance level of 5%. First year students began their sex lives earlier than the seniors and the number of sexual partners varied between one and 15 in their life, and the general mean is 3.07 partners for the freshman and 3.42 for the seniors. Many students showed a low perception of personal risk to get STD/AIDS and, although they discuss it with their colleagues, they continue to expose themselves to partners that had or have other partners in the past and did not use condom. We can conclude that the experiences lived during their graduate years were not enough to improve their responsibility to use condoms in their senior year, probably due to keeping more stable relationships which create a confidence bond between the partners.