Abstract

PIP: The Institute of Medicine in Washington, DC, recently conducted the National College Health Risk Behavior Survey, the first ever-study of health risk behaviors in a nationally representative sample of college students. The approximately 5000 students who completed the survey questionnaires are representative of all undergraduates aged 18 and older in public and private 2- and 4-year US colleges and universities. 86.1% reported ever having intercourse, with 34.5% reporting 6 or more sex partners during their lifetime. Among students aged 18-24 years, 79.5% of students reported ever having sexual intercourse and 25.7% reported having 6 or more sex partners during their lifetime. Female students were slightly more likely to have ever had intercourse, while male students were slightly more likely to have ever had intercourse with 6 or more partners. 79.8% of participants reported using some form of contraception during their most recent intercourse, but only 29.6% used a condom (37.7% of 18-24 year olds). The college students sampled had significantly higher rates of unprotected sexual activity than did high school students sampled in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance Summary.