Inconsistencies and misperceptions putting college students at risk of HIV infection

Abstract

College students are often viewed as being at high risk for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, due to their needs to engage in exploratory behavior and their needs for peers' social approval, and their sense of invulnerability. The proportion of adolescents who are sexually active is known to be relatively stable; however, the amount of unsafe sex taking place on the college campus is still in question, as well as the relationship between dating patterns and HIV-risk behavior. In this study college students' self-reports of sexual and dating practices were related to sexual frequency and condom use. The results highlight the amount of unprotected sexual behavior in the college group and the difficulty in assessing adolescents' risk of HIV transmission on the basis of self-reported sexual activity and dating behavior. Key issues to target in educating college students about HIV infection are the roles of planning and spontaneity in dating and the fact that inaccurate self-perceptions of monogamy and abstinence may lead them to assume falsely that they are safe from sexually transmitted diseases.