Factors Associated with Sexual Risk Behavior among Young People in Catalonia [Determinantes de las conductas sexuales de riesgo en jovenes de Cataluña]

BACKGROUND:

Sexual behavior in young people is influenced by external factors that may increase their vulnerability.

OBJECTIVE:

to describe sexual behavior and other indicators of sexual and reproductive health among young people (16 to 24 years) in Catalonia and to identify factors associated with sexual risk behaviors.

METHODS:

Cross-sectional study in 2012 carried out by an online survey from a panel of population (n=800). Factors associated with not using a condom at last sexual intercourse were evaluated using multivariate logistic regression models.

RESULTS:

76.1% of boys and 83.3% of girls reported having had complete sexual intercourse (p=0.012). The proportion of boys and girls who reported casual partners was 39.7% and 22.5%, respectively. 31.4% of boys and 10.3% of girls reported having contacted partners through Internet. Not using a condom at first sexual intercourse showed significant association with reporting not using a condom in the last sexual intercourse, for both, boys (OR= 2.50) and girls (OR= 3.18). Having contacted partners through the Internet (OR=2.29) was associated with this risky sexual behavior in boys, and having used the emergency contraception 3 or more times (OR=3.38) was associated in girls.

CONCLUSIONS:

There are differences in the sexual behavior of young people by sex, being condom use at first sexual relationship a good predictor of condom use at last sexual intercourse. Boys show a higher number of casual partners than girls, as well as a higher use of the Internet to contact sexual partners.

Full article (in Spanish) at:   http://goo.gl/ViSVeh

By:   Cinta Folch (1,2), Jose Luis Álvarez (3), Jordi Casabona (1,2), Maria Brotons (4), Xavier Castellsagué (2,4) y Grupo Jóvenes e Internet**

(1) Centre d'Estudis Epidemiològics sobre les Infeccions de Transmissió Sexual i Sida de Catalunya (CEEISCAT), Agència Salut Pública de Catalunya (ASPC), Generalitat de Catalunya, Badalona, España;
(2) CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), España;
(3) Máster de Salud Pública - Universidad Pompeu Fabra/Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona.
(4) Unidad de Infecciones y Cáncer (UNIC). Programa de Investigación en Epidemiología del Cáncer (PREC). Institut Català d'Oncologia (ICO)-IDIBELL. Barcelona. España.

** Grupo Jóvenes e Internet: F Xavier Bosch, Silvia de Sanjosé, Laia Bruni, Carmen Cabezas, Luis Urbiztondo, Cristina Agustí y Rossie Lugo (Miembros del Grupo de evaluación del impacto de la vacuna frente al virus del papiloma humano en Cataluña); Laia Ferrer, Alexandra Montoliu, Anna Esteve, Eva Loureiro (CEEISCAT) y Francisco Lupiáñez (Internet Interdiciplinary Institute de la UOC).

 

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