A study of knowledge and attitudes of selected nursing students toward human sexuality

The study evaluated the knowledge and attitudes of sophomore nursing students toward human sexuality, and compared their scores with national normative values for nursing students and undergraduate, nonmedical females. Further, the effect that a five‐credit hour, human sexuality course had on the students was investigated. The Sex Knowledge and Attitude Test, developed by Lief and Reed, was utilized. The students’ pre‐ and posttest scores were analyzed, including sample size, group means, and standard deviations. There were significant differences of knowledge scores on (1) the pre‐ and posttest scores of the sophomore nursing students, and (2) the post‐test scores of the second‐year nursing students and the national undergraduate, nonmedical females. The national nursing students’ scores and the sophomore nursing students’ posttest scores did not indicate significant differences.

The attitudinal section of the questionnaire was divided into four sections—autoeroticism, abortion, acceptance of sexual myths, and heterosexual relations. Autoeroticism showed the greatest change. It was concluded that this investigation should be followed by additional research to test the effects of human sexuality courses on attitudinal and knowledge change.     

How comfortable do first-year medical students expect to be when taking sexual histories?

The authors assessed the expected degree of comfort among first-year students at two California medical schools in taking a sexual history from four types of patients: heterosexual men; heterosexual women; homosexual (men and women combined); and an AIDS patient. Data were from questionnaires administered at two California medical schools (response rate = 87%). Students expected to be significantly more comfortable with heterosexual patients who were the same sex as the student. Students who had previously taken a sexual history anticipated relatively more comfort with heterosexual patients. The lowest expected comfort was for the AIDS patient. Older students expected to be more comfortable with the AIDS patient, independent of the student's personal sexual experience. Students with a homosexual friend anticipated more comfort with both the AIDS patient and the homosexual patients.     

医学生性观念、生殖健康及相关问题的调查

目的 了解医学生人群中性观念、生殖健康知识的认知和需求情况,以便开展有针对性的生殖健康教育.方法 采用自行设计的调查表,对我校两系大一大二2 156名学生进行问卷调查.结果 医学生人群中性观念相对开放,大多数学生能从期望的途径获取生殖健康知识,生殖、节育、人工流产有关知识相对缺乏,虽然对人工流产的后果有一定认识,但性安全意识和知识缺乏.结论 医学生人群中性观念、生殖健康知识的认知情况令人堪忧,只有为学生提供有效的生殖健康教育服务,才能提高生殖健康水平.     

Australian and South African Undergraduates' HIV-Related Knowledge, Attitudes, and Behaviors

To understand safe sexbehavior in two countries which have been differentially affected by the HIV/AIDS epidemic, the present study compared the AIDS-related knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors of 920 heterosexual undergraduate students in Australia and 228 heterosexual undergraduate students in South Africa. South African students were found to have significantly less knowledge about HIV/AIDS, and significantly less favorable attitudes toward safe sexbehavior than their Australian counterparts. Theywere also more likely to report that they have avoided various groups of people for fear of contracting AIDS. Experience from Australia over the period 1986-1995 suggests that significant improvements in the AIDS-related knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors of South African undergraduates are achievable.     

Homosexuality: Behaviors and attitudes

To assess the incidence of homosexual experiences, heterosexual experiences, associated attitudes, and related demographic characteristics, a sexual behavior and attitudes questionnaire was administered to 4251 university students. The rate of homosexual experiences was found to be appreciably lower than that commonly reported in the literature and was not significantly related to race, religion, or region of residence. Individuals with homosexual experiences, compared to those without, tended to be more liberal in their views toward socially deviant sexual behavior in general, did not demonstrate fewer heterosexual contacts, and did not report significantly more guilt or anxiety about their sexual behavior.Address reprint requests to Stephen Haynes, Department of Psychology, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina 29208.     

Changes in sex differences in sexual behavior: A replication of a study on West German students (1966–1981)

In 1966, at the start of the student movement and the sexual liberalization process, we studied the sexual behavior and attitudes of 3,666 male and female students from 12 West German universities by mailed questionnaires. In 1981 we replicated this study with 1,922 students from 13 universities (10 the same as 1966, 3 founded after 1966). In both studies the students were selected at random. Results of these comparative studies are presented with a view to the changes in sex differences. Sex differences in masturbation behavior have considerably decreased since 1966; masturbation is nonetheless still the form of sexual behavior with the most striking differences between the sexes. The sex differences in coital behavior are now reversed, female students being earlier and more active than males. As regards the tendency to change partners or for sexual relations outside a steady relationship, the differences between men and women have disappeared. In their attitudes to sexuality, female students in 1981 are somewhat more liberal than their male counterparts, whereas hardly any difference could be found in 1966. These changes in sex differences are observed in all subsamples, i.e., in young and old, in strictly religious and nonreligious students, and in students from both upper- and lower-class backgrounds (educational level of parents).Revised version of a paper read at the 8th Annual Meeting, International Academy of Sex Research, August 22–26, 1982, in Copenhagen. This investigation was supported by a research grant from the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, Bonn, West Germany. The report was translated by Tom Todd, Hamburg.     

College student attitudes toward forcible date rape: I. Cognitive predictors

Students completed a questionnaire measuring acceptance of forcible date rape, attitudes toward women, sexual knowledge, sexual experience, tolerance of socially unapproved sexual behavior, and religiosity. Findings suggested that persons relatively more accepting of forcible date rape are less sure it really is rape, have more traditional attitudes toward women, are more selfsexually permissive (i.e., more tolerant of their own socially unapproved of sexual behavior, such as premarital and extramarital sex with friends or casual acquaintances), have less accurate sexual knowledge and, though a large majority blame the male, are slightly more inclined than others to blame society or the situation. These predictor variables accounted for 35% of the variance in attitudes toward forcible date rape and identified correctly about two-thirds of the students classified as nonrejectors of forcible date rape, i.e., those who did not consider the male's behavior definitely unacceptable under any one of nine circumstances, including He spent a lot of money on her. In addition to the emotional and personality variables often cited in rapists, the cognitive predictor variables found may be salient to understanding the etiology of rape.This paper was first presented at meetings of the Society for the Scientific Study of Sex, September 1985, in San Diego, California.     

Correlates of attitudes toward the sexuality of the disabled person in selected health professionals

The attitudes of health professionals toward sexuality and disability have recently been under much scrutiny. These attitudes have been characterized as essentially negative. This study was undertaken in an attempt to clarify the relationship between attitudes toward sexuality, attitudes toward disability and attitudes toward the sexual behavior of the disabled.Fifty-three health professionals from three rehabilitation centers served as subjects. Subjects completed a research packet that included theAttitude Toward Disabled Persons Test, Sex Knowledge and Attitude Test and a researcher-designed Attitude Toward Sexual Behavior of the Disabled semantic differential.It was found that attitudes toward disability did not correlate with sex knowledge, attitudes or with attitudes toward the sexual behavior of the disabled. Attitudes toward the sexual behavior of the disabled is best predicted by attitudes toward premarital and extramartial sex and attitudes toward autoeroticism.The data indicate that attitudes toward the sexual behavior of the disabled are associated more with fundamental sex attitudes than with attitudes toward disability. Sex knowledge is not related to attitudes toward sexual behavior of the disabled. It was recommended that programs designed to change attitudes toward sexual behavior of the disabled should focus on attitudes as opposed to knowledge.She is also project director for the Sexual Adjustment Counseling Services project at George Washington University.The original research was conducted under the support of the University of North Carolina Medical School, Department of Allied Health Professions. Preparation of this article was supported by Department of Health, Education & Welfare Grant #RSA 15-P-57882/3-03.The author wishes to extend personal thanks to Debra Cornelius and Elaine Makas for their assistance in preparing this article.     

Sex misinformation and misconceptions among Chinese medical students in Hong Kong

Sex knowledge and attitudes of 97 Chinese undergraduate medical students were assessed by ratings on a set of belief statements. The results of their responses indicated two salient dimensions of health concern and sex as unclean, reflecting areas of gaps in sex knowledge as well as misconceptions traceable to traditional Chinese beliefs on the association between health and semen. Respondents also reported relying more on the public media than health professionals as a source of sex information. Implications for sex education in general and for medical students in particular are discussed.     

Medical sex education: Allowing attitude alteration

Medical sex education courses throughout the United States are quite variable in design, strategy, format, and goals. This article reviews the findings of the published studies, and examines the effect of medical sex education on both students' sexual attitudes toward self and others and students' attitudes toward women. This study used a simple pre- and postcourse measuring design with a matched sampling technique. Data derived from 41 matched subjects support the effectiveness of the medical sex education course in altering students' attitudes by increasing their tolerance of others' sexual behavior and fantasy, as well as influencing their own tolerance of their own sexual fantasies. Little to no effect on students' own sexual behavior was noted. The data replicate the attitudinal effects of a medical sex education course conducted with a markedly different regional population and a different course format. A most striking finding is that following a medical sex education course, students are noted to be less dogmatic in nonsexual opinion, as measured by the Rokeach Dogmatism Scale.This study was supported by NIMH Grant MN13825.     

The Sex Knowledge and Attitude Test (SKAT)

The Sex Knowledge and Attitude Test (SKAT) was designed to measure knowledge, attitudes and degree of experience in a variety of sexual behaviors, and to be used as a teaching and research instrument. The SKAT has been administered to over 35,000 students, approximately two-thirds of whom have been medical students. SKAT has served two major objectives: to measure changes in knowledge and attitudes after a course or program in human sexuality and to demonstrate the deficiencies of medical and nursing education in preparing health professionals to aid patients with sexual problems. Additional types of research using the SKAT are suggested.     

Effect of religiosity on sex attitudes, experience and contraception among university students

This study deals with the effect of the degree of religiosity on attitudes toward and experience with sex and contraception among university students. Students defined their religious beliefs on the poles from orthodox religion to opposed-to-religion. Data were gathered by an anonymous questionnaire on sexual activity, attitudes toward sex, unwanted pregnancy and contraception. Orthodox and observant students left questions on sex unanswered. Female students were sexually active and used contraception in inverse relationship to their degree of religiosity. There was no parallel finding for males. The more religious the student the less sex was considered contributory to the relationship and the acceptance of abortion declined, but even among religious female students 48% chose abortions as a solution to an unwanted pregnancy.     

Exploring Variations in North American Adults’ Attitudes,Interest, Experience,and Outcomes Related to Mixed-Gender Threesomes: A Replication and Extension

Mixed-gender threesomes (MGTs) are a type of consensually nonmonogamous sexual encounter involving three people of more than one gender. Little research has been conducted on MGTs, and what little work does exist is limited to college students, who may actually be less experienced with MGTs than older adults. The present study investigated attitudes toward, interest in, experiences with, and outcomes of MGTs in two samples (college N?=?231; online N?=?1342), comprised of 907 heterosexual and 666 sexual minority participants in total. Results indicated that participants reported neutral-to-positive attitudes toward and moderate-to-high levels of interest in MGTs (81% indicated some degree of interest). MGTs involving familiar others were preferred to those involving strangers. Men, sexual minority individuals, and participants from the online sample reported more favorable attitudes toward and greater interest in MGTs as compared to women, heterosexual individuals, and participants from the student sample. In addition, 30% of participants indicated having experience with a MGT. Sexual minority individuals reported more experience with MGTs and more positive outcomes than did heterosexual individuals. In addition, on average, participants reported that their MGT experiences “met expectations.” Overall, these results indicate that MGTs are a common sexual behavior that often results in positive outcomes, especially among sexual minority individuals. Additional research on this understudied topic is needed, particularly as it relates to outcomes and the role of MGTs in consensually nonmonogamous relationships.

     

Reductions in HIV risk-associated sexual behaviors among black male adolescents: effects of an AIDS prevention intervention.

BACKGROUND. The number of reported cases of acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) is increasing disproportionately among Blacks in the United States. The relatively high incidence of sexually transmitted diseases among Black adolescents suggest the need for AIDS prevention programs to reduce their risk of sexually transmitted human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. METHODS. Black male adolescents (n = 157) were randomly assigned to receive an AIDS risk reduction intervention aimed at increasing AIDS-related knowledge and weakening problematic attitudes toward risky sexual behavior, or to receive a control intervention on career opportunities. RESULTS. The adolescents who received the AIDS intervention subsequently had greater AIDS knowledge, less favorable attitudes toward risky sexual behavior, and lower intentions to engage in such behavior than did those in the control condition. Follow-up data collected 3 months later revealed that the adolescents who had received the AIDS intervention reported fewer occasions of coitus, fewer coital partners, greater use of condoms, and a lower incidence of heterosexual anal intercourse than did the other adolescents. CONCLUSIONS. These results suggest that interventions that increase knowledge about AIDS and change attitudes toward risky sexual behavior may have salutary effects on Black adolescents' risk of HIV infection.     

HIV Risk Among Homosexual, Bisexual, and Heterosexual Male and Female Youths

Variations in sexual risk acts and thesocial-cognitive mediators of sexual acts were examinedamong young homosexual, bisexual, and heterosexual malesand females (N = 478; 13-21 Years of age) from four community-based agencies in New York City, SanFrancisco, and Los Angeles (29% African American, 36%Latino, 36% White/other). The prevalence and frequencyof sexual risk acts varied by gender but were similar across youth of different sexualorientations, ethnicities, and ages. Condom use and thesocial-cognitive mediators of risk varied by sexualorientation and gender. Homosexual youths reported a gap between their positive attitudes toward HIVprevention and their skills to implement safer sex acts,particularly under social pressure. Bisexual youthsappeared at greatest risk; their reports of sexual risk were the highest, yet their perceived riskfor HIV was relatively low and skills and knowledge weremoderate (relative to their peers). Heterosexual youthsappear at high risk for HIV based on reports of low rates of condom use and HIV-relatedbeliefs and attitudes. However, heterosexual youthsdemonstrated the highestlevelofcondom skills. The numberofsexual partners was not associated with anyHIV-related social cognitive mediator, suggesting thatalternative theoretical models must be proposed forpartner selection. Longitudinal research with similarsubgroups of youths is needed.     

The effect of chronological and theoretical birth order on sexual attitudes and behaviors

A survey designed to evaluate the impact that both chronological and theoretical birth order may have on sexual attitudes and behaviors was completed by 441 respondents (221 male, 220 female). The attitudes and behaviors investigated were aggressive sexual behavior, social relationship attitudes, emotional relationship attitudes, total heterosexual behavior, and total orgasmic behavior. The data revealed no difference between male and female in terms of total sexual behavior. However, males had significantly higher sexual aggression, social attitudes, emotional attitudes, and total orgasm scores. These results suggest that while there may be equity between the sexes in terms of heterosexual behavior, there are still significant differences between the sexes in terms of specific behaviors and attitudes. No differences were found on any of the scales based on either chronological or theoretical birth order. These results suggest that sexual behavior and attitudes may be influenced to a greater degree by biological and cohort factors than by sibling position.An earlier version of this paper was presented at the Joint Annual Meeting of the Midcontinent Region of the Society for the Scientific Study of Sex and the Indiana/Illinois section of the American Association of Sex Educators, Counselors, and Therapists, Bloomington, Indiana, April 1987.     

Knowledge, behavior, and attitudes toward sex among adolescent students at a junior/high school in Cote d'Ivoire

OBJECTIVES: To be able to provide appropriate information about sex to adolescent students in the Cote D'Ivoire, we conducted a study to determine knowledge, behavior, and attitudes toward sex. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional study at a junior/high school using a self-administered questionnaire which contained students' characteristics (age, sex, grade, tribe, region), their knowledge about sex, sexual behavior (including experience of sex and contraception), and attitudes toward sex. Knowledge about sex and proportions employing contraception were compared between males and females and between the lower and the upper grades. We also examined associations between attitudes toward sex and contraception. RESULTS: A total of 695 (males: 278, females: 417) students filled in our questionnaire (response rate: 33.1%). The proportion of the students who had experienced sex was 84.2% for males, 46.5% for females, and the average age of the first sex was 14.3 and 15.6 years in males and females, respectively the proportions using contraception was 49.6% and 46.9%. In students of the lower grades, males had greater knowledge than females, but this difference was reduced with progression through the upper grades. The proportion using contraception in the upper grades was also higher and an association between attitude toward sex and contraception was clear. CONCLUSION: Adolescent students' knowledge, behavior, and attitudes toward sex could be relatively easily investigated at a junior/high school of Cote D'Ivoire. The majority of males and half of the females in this setting already had experience of sexual intercourse. The study showed that difference in sexual knowledge between males and females shrunk with increase in school grade. We also showed an association between attitude toward sex and contraception.     

高年级大学生性相关问题态度、行为状况研究

目的：了解大学生性相关问题态度、行为状况,探讨性别因素与其关系。方法：对广东某医学院303名年龄在20－25岁的大三学生（其中男195人,女108人）进行问卷调查。结果：男生对偶尔婚外性行为及婚前性行为持较宽容态度,92％的学生认为卖淫嫖娼应受遣责和法办。同学间男生比女生更多地谈到性问题。女生恋爱比例高于男生,婚前性行为男女比例无差别。学生最需要的性教育内容依次为性心理知识、安全性行为、性传播疾病等。女生偏向由专家教授提供性知识,而男生偏向由同学、朋友提供性知识。男生吸烟、饮酒比例均高于女生。结论：高年级男女大学生的性相关问题态度、行为状况有较多不同,在性教育的方式方法上,应注意男女生的差别。