Practices and sexual behaviors of students at the University of Costa Rica

Abstract

The study aimed to identify the sexual practices of the Costa Rican students to acquire the infection by HIV with the purpose of promoting a sexual life and the improvement of the quality of life. An anonymous survey was conducted in the student population, during the school year of 2008 in the different venues with the nationwide University of Costa Rica . At the end of the field work, it was managed to collect a total of 497 questionnaires. The distribution by sex and age represented in suitable form the student population of the University of Costa Rica where great differences by sex do not occur. The 86% of the students indicated to have been sexual relations and the average of age of beginning of the sexual was18 in both sex. A higher percentage of women (43%) with respect to men (38,7%) have been the last sex in less than a week. Monogamy and condom use are considered by most of the students as safe sex. When consulting to the students where they had received information on sexuality or sexual education, the educative system was the main source on the subject. This information takes to us to formulate a series of recommendations like the necessity to execute informative days for the students especially women through the media of the University of Costa Rica.