Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2016:2016:8175921.
doi: 10.1155/2016/8175921. Epub 2016 Dec 22.

Comparison of Sexual Knowledge, Attitude, and Behavior between Female Chinese College Students from Urban Areas and Rural Areas: A Hidden Challenge for HIV/AIDS Control in China

Affiliations

Comparison of Sexual Knowledge, Attitude, and Behavior between Female Chinese College Students from Urban Areas and Rural Areas: A Hidden Challenge for HIV/AIDS Control in China

Min Chen et al. Biomed Res Int. 2016.

Abstract

Currently, research in sexual behavior and awareness in female Chinese college students (FCCSs) is limited, particularly regarding the difference and the influencing factors between students from rural areas and urban areas. To fill the gap in available data, a cross-sectional study using anonymous questionnaires was conducted among 3193 female students from six universities located in Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou, China, from February to June, 2013. Of the 2669 respondents, 20.6% and 20.9% of the students from urban and rural areas, respectively, reported being sexually experienced. The proportion of students who received safe-sex education prior to entering university from rural areas (22.4%, 134/598) was lower (P < 0.0001) than the proportion from urban areas (41.8%, 865/2071). Sexual behavior has become increasingly common among FCCSs, including high-risk sexual behavior such as unprotected commercial sex. However, knowledge concerning human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) transmission and the risks is insufficient, particularly for those from rural areas, which is a challenge for HIV/AIDS control in China. The Chinese government should establish more specific HIV/AIDS prevention policies for Chinese young women, strengthen sex education, and continue to perform relevant research.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Geographic distribution and diverse characteristics of sexual behaviors of the female college students included in this study.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Distribution of information sources for HIV/STDs for female college students in China.

Similar articles

Cited by

References

    1. Shao-Ru Z., Hong Y., Xiao-Hong L., et al. The personal experiences of HIV/AIDS patients in rural areas of western China. AIDS Patient Care and STDs. 2010;24(7):447–453. doi: 10.1089/apc.2009.0347. - DOI - PubMed
    1. National Bureau of Statistics of the People's Republic of China. 2010 Sixth National Census Bulletin. http://www.stats.gov.cn/tjsj/tjgb/rkpcgb/qgrkpcgb/201104/t20110428_30327....
    1. Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China. 2013 National Educational Development Statistical Bulletin. http://www.moe.gov.cn/publicfiles/business/htmlfiles/moe/moe_633/201407/....
    1. Zhang K.-L., Li D., Li H., Beck E. J. Changing sexual attitudes and behaviour in China: implications for the spread of HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases. AIDS Care. 1999;11(5):581–589. doi: 10.1080/09540129947730. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Lu L., Jia M., Ma Y., et al. The changing face of HIV in China. Nature. 2008;455(7213):609–611. doi: 10.1038/455609a. - DOI - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources