Sex knowledge, attitudes, and high-risk sexual behaviors among unmarried youth in Hong Kong

Sex knowledge, attitudes, and high-risk sexual behaviors among unmarried youth in Hong Kong

• Yip, Paul S. F. Dept. of Social Work and Social Administration, University of Hong Kong
• Zhang, Hui Ping Dept. of Social Work, School of Sociology and Population Studies, Renmin University of China
• Lam, Tai Hing Dept. of Community Medicine, School of Public Health, University of Hong Kong
• Lam, Kwok Fai Dept. of Statistics & Actuarial Science, University of Hong Kong
• Lee, Antoinette Marie Dept. of Psychiatry, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, University of Hong Kong
• Chan, John Family Planning Association of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
• Fan, Susan Family Planning Association of Hong Kong, Hong Kong

BMC Public Health, 13(1), 691-700, 2013

Great Britain

BioMed Central Ltd.

2013

• A Human Growth & Development
  • AC Socialization, Self-concept, Self-esteem, Identity, Affective, Emotional, Psycho-social & Moral Development
• A Human Growth & Development
  • AJ Sexual Difference, Bisexual Educational Difference, Sexism in Education
• N Students & Student Services
  • NH Guidance, Counselling & School Social Work

Public Health and Safety Health & Safety Science Abstracts

• Hong Kong

• 1997.7 onwards

• Unknown or Unspecified

• View Full Text 全文連結

Background: Little is known about sex knowledge, attitudes, and high-risk sexual behaviors among unmarried youth in Hong Kong. It is of public health importance to investigate this topic to inform sex education, policymaking, and prevention and intervention programs. Methods: Based on the Youth Sexuality Survey conducted by Hong Kong Family Planning Association (FPAHK) in 2011, this study explored the characteristics of sexual knowledge, attitudes, and high-risk sexual behaviors among 1,126 unmarried youth aged 18 to 27 years. Multiple logistic regressions were performed to examine factors associated with unmarried youth's premarital sex, casual relationships, multiple sex partners, and premarital pregnancy. Results: Unmarried youth in Hong Kong had adequate sex knowledge, but contraceptive knowledge was deficient. The majority of unmarried youth (63.8%) held liberal attitudes toward premarital sex and about half held liberal attitudes toward any form of sexual activity and premarital pregnancy. Around 60% held conservative attitudes toward causal sex relationships and multiple sex partners. Males tended to hold more liberal attitudes toward high-risk sex behaviors than female youth. Approximately 41.5% of unmarried youth reported having engaged in premarital sex, whereas less than 10% engaged in high-risk sexual behaviors. Males also reported higher amounts of premarital sex, casual sex relationships, and multiple sex partners. Females reported higher levels of sexual coercion. Logistic regressions indicated that being older, coming from a divorced family, out of school status and liberal attitudes toward risky sex behavior were more likely to engage in premarital sex or high-risk sex behaviors, and being female, being better educated and being immigrants were less likely to engage in premarital sex. However, being immigrants was more likely to engage in casual relationship and to have multiple partners. Conclusions: Premarital sex is becoming more prevalent among unmarried youth in Hong Kong, and a small proportion of young adults are engaging in high-risk sexual behaviors. Sex education and HIV prevention programs should equip them with adequate knowledge on contraception and condom use. Intervention programs can start with their attitudes toward sex.
[Copyright of BMC Public Health is the property of BioMed Central. Full article may be available at the publisher's website:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/1471-2458-13-691]

• English

Journal Articles

• 14712458

• 10.1186/1471-2458-13-691

https://bibliography.lib.eduhk.hk/bibs/4848c6fd

2014-05-29