IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v18y2021i19p10022-d641655.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Awareness, Knowledge and Risky Behaviors of Sexually Transmitted Diseases among Young People in Greece

Author

Listed:
  • Chrysa Voyiatzaki

    (Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology & Immunology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Health and Care Sciences, University of West Attica, 12243 Athens, Greece
    These authors contributed equally to this work.)

  • Maria S. Venetikou

    (Laboratory of Anatomy-Pathological Anatomy & Physiology Nutrition, Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Health and Care Sciences, University of West Attica, 12243 Athens, Greece)

  • Effie Papageorgiou

    (Reliability and Quality Control in Laboratory Hematology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Health and Care Sciences, University of West Attica, 12243 Athens, Greece)

  • Fragiski Anthouli-Anagnostopoulou

    (Laboratory of Anatomy-Pathological Anatomy & Physiology Nutrition, Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Health and Care Sciences, University of West Attica, 12243 Athens, Greece)

  • Panagiotis Simitzis

    (Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology & Immunology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Health and Care Sciences, University of West Attica, 12243 Athens, Greece)

  • Dimitrios I. Chaniotis

    (Laboratory of Anatomy-Pathological Anatomy & Physiology Nutrition, Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Health and Care Sciences, University of West Attica, 12243 Athens, Greece)

  • Maria Adamopoulou

    (Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology & Immunology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Health and Care Sciences, University of West Attica, 12243 Athens, Greece
    These authors contributed equally to this work.)

Abstract

Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) affect mainly young individuals and cause health, social, and economic problems worldwide. The present study used a web questionnaire to assess the awareness, knowledge, sexual behaviors, and common practices regarding STDs in young Greek adults. The 1833 individuals, aged 18–30 years, who responded to the study seem to be particularly knowledgeable regarding STDs such as AIDS (97.7%), warts (97%), Chlamydia (92.2%), genital herpes (89.9%), syphilis (81.9%), and gonorrhea (72.1%), whereas lower percentages were noted for trichomoniasis (39.3%), Molluscum contagiosum (12.9%), mycoplasmosis (11.6%), and amoebiasis (7.4%). Regarding oral STD transmission, participants replied correctly for genital herpes (45%), warts (35.8%), and AIDS (HIV; 33.8%), whereas 30.2% were unfamiliar with oral sexual transmission. Of the participants, 52% were not aware that STDs might cause infertility. Only 40.4% of the respondents reported always using condoms during sexual intercourse, and 48.6% had never been tested for STDs. The majority of the young population (55%) presented a moderate knowledge STD score (41–60%) and was associated with demographic parameters such as age, gender, sexual preference, number of sexual partners, and residence ( p < 0.05). These findings provide important information regarding the prevention of STDs and highlight the significance of developing more effective sex education programs for young people in Greece.

Suggested Citation

  • Chrysa Voyiatzaki & Maria S. Venetikou & Effie Papageorgiou & Fragiski Anthouli-Anagnostopoulou & Panagiotis Simitzis & Dimitrios I. Chaniotis & Maria Adamopoulou, 2021. "Awareness, Knowledge and Risky Behaviors of Sexually Transmitted Diseases among Young People in Greece," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(19), pages 1-14, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:18:y:2021:i:19:p:10022-:d:641655
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/19/10022/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/19/10022/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Adigun Temiloluwa Folasayo & Afolayan John Oluwasegun & Suhailah Samsudin & Siti Nor Sakinah Saudi & Malina Osman & Rukman Awang Hamat, 2017. "Assessing the Knowledge Level, Attitudes, Risky Behaviors and Preventive Practices on Sexually Transmitted Diseases among University Students as Future Healthcare Providers in the Central Zone of Mala," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 14(2), pages 1-14, February.
    2. Antonella Zizza & Marcello Guido & Virginia Recchia & Pierfrancesco Grima & Federico Banchelli & Andrea Tinelli, 2021. "Knowledge, Information Needs and Risk Perception about HIV and Sexually Transmitted Diseases after an Education Intervention on Italian High School and University Students," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(4), pages 1-14, February.
    3. Teresa Fasciana & Giuseppina Capra & Paola Di Carlo & Cinzia Calà & Marco Vella & Giuseppe Pistone & Claudia Colomba & Anna Giammanco, 2021. "Socio-Demographic Characteristics and Sexual Behavioral Factors of Patients with Sexually Transmitted Infections Attending a Hospital in Southern Italy," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(9), pages 1-10, April.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Nunzia Cannovo & Elena Bianchini & Luciana Gironacci & Elisabetta Garbati & Filiberto Di Prospero & Mariano Cingolani & Roberto Scendoni & Piergiorgio Fedeli, 2024. "Sexually Transmitted Infections in Adolescents and Young Adults: A Cross Section of Public Health," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 21(4), pages 1-22, April.
    2. Teresa Fasciana & Giuseppina Capra & Dario Lipari & Alberto Firenze & Anna Giammanco, 2022. "Sexually Transmitted Diseases: Diagnosis and Control," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(9), pages 1-3, April.
    3. Mathildah Mpata Mokgatle & Sphiwe Madiba & Lindiwe Cele, 2021. "A Comparative Analysis of Risky Sexual Behaviors, Self-Reported Sexually Transmitted Infections, Knowledge of Symptoms and Partner Notification Practices among Male and Female University Students in P," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(11), pages 1-14, May.
    4. Daniel Íncera-Fernández & Francisco J. Román & Manuel Gámez-Guadix, 2022. "Risky Sexual Practices, Sexually Transmitted Infections, Motivations, and Mental Health among Heterosexual Women and Men Who Practice Sexualized Drug Use in Spain," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(11), pages 1-16, May.
    5. Maria Lagadinou & Katerina Spiliopoulou & Themistoklis Paraskevas & Despoina Gkentzi & Stelios Assimakopoulos & Paraskevi Katsakiori & Leonidia Leonidou & Markos Marangos, 2024. "Knowledge and Attitudes of Medical and Nursing Students in a Greek University Regarding Sexually Transmitted Diseases," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 21(3), pages 1-9, February.
    6. Maria José de Oliveira Santos & Elisabete Maria Soares Ferreira & Manuela Conceição Ferreira, 2024. "Predictors of Condom Use among College Students," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 21(4), pages 1-14, April.
    7. Antonella Zizza & Marcello Guido & Virginia Recchia & Pierfrancesco Grima & Federico Banchelli & Andrea Tinelli, 2021. "Knowledge, Information Needs and Risk Perception about HIV and Sexually Transmitted Diseases after an Education Intervention on Italian High School and University Students," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(4), pages 1-14, February.
    8. Israa Abdullah Malli & Basmah Abdullah Kabli & Lujain Ali Alhakami, 2023. "Sexually Transmitted Diseases among Saudi Women: Knowledge and Misconceptions," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(6), pages 1-11, March.
    9. Mohammad A. Albanghali & Basim A. Othman, 2020. "A Cross-Sectional Study on the Knowledge of Sexually Transmitted Diseases among Young Adults Living in Albaha, Saudi Arabia," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(6), pages 1-10, March.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:18:y:2021:i:19:p:10022-:d:641655. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.