This study used the Health Belief Model to examine the predictors of AIDS preventive behavior. The independent variables were the variables of individual perception, modifying factors (psychological variables), and likelihood variables. The respondents, the Taiwanese students of the University of North Texas, were influenced both by Chinese sexuality and Western values in their AIDS-risk behavior. The results revealed that 90% of the respondents were misinformed on the availability of AIDS vaccine. In addition, a majority of the students were either abstaining from sex or practicing monogamy. Using Pearson's correlation coefficient and multiple regression analysis, this study found that the psychological variables rather than cognitive variables significantly influenced the respondents' AIDS preventive behavior. Finally, suggestions were made for future research on AIDS, and for AIDS preventive behavior campaigns.

The study of cognitive factors in sexual aggression has, for the most part, been limited to beliefs and attitudes. The present study sought to detect a rape-supportive schema of sexual relationships that organizes and guides information processing in several cognitive domains: cognitions arising in the context of a simulated sexual situation, memory, person perception, and social reasoning.

The purpose of this study was to better understand sexual development during the transition to adulthood. Previous research was extended by testing models that examined direct effects of romantic attachment and social support on emerging adults’ sexual outcomes, as well as models that examined the mediating role of sexual motivations in those associations. Undergraduate students (n = 290, 66% female) completed questionnaires that assessed romantic attachment, social support, sexual motives, risky sexual behaviors, and health-promoting sexual beliefs. Results indicated romantic attachment strongly predicted sexual functioning, such that higher levels of attachment insecurity were associated with fewer health-promoting sexual beliefs and more risky sexual behaviors. Attachment anxiety was most closely associated with sexual outcomes for females, while attachment avoidance was a stronger predictor of sexual outcomes for males. Furthermore, coping but not intimacy motivations were found to partially mediate the link between attachment anxiety and health-promoting sexual beliefs for females. Although overall relationships between social support and sexual outcomes were not significant as hypothesized, links between specific support sources and sexual outcomes emerged during further analysis. Conclusions underscore the usefulness of attachment theory as a framework for understanding sexual behavior and provide further support for the importance of considering gender differences when examining the interplay between the attachment and sexual systems. Practical implications for sexual health prevention and intervention efforts are discussed.

Understanding how students endorse affirmative consent in their sexual relationships is essential to sexual violence prevention. Some research has indicated that LGBT students and students with disabilities may negotiate and endorse consent uniquely because of socially constructed traditional sexual scripts. Research indicates gender differences may exist as well. The proposed research examines differences based on gender, LGBT status, and disability in affirmative consent endorsement and peer norms around sexual violence. Results indicated that women, nonbinary students, LGBT students, and students with disabilities were significantly less likely than their privileged counterparts to indicate low endorsement of affirmative consent. Results also indicated that women and some LGBT students are significantly less likely than their privileged counterparts to indicate high peer norms supporting sexual violence. Limitations, implications, and future directions are discussed.

Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2015. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: While there has been several studies that have been conducted targeting university students at state owned universities in South Africa, specifically on the impact of HIV/AIDS epidemic, no extensive study was conducted to establish what informs adoption of high risk sexual behaviour among university students in the context of HIV, STI and unplanned pregnancy epidemics at any of the state owned South African universities, let alone private universities. In order to address this identified gap in the body of knowledge, a cross-sectional study underpinned by the ‘social norms’ theory was undertaken at a private university in the Gauteng Province, South Africa to establish why undergraduate students engage in high risk sexual behaviour that puts them at risk of contracting HIV, STIs and unplanned pregnancy. Quantitative data was collected from 342 students through a questionnaire and qualitative data was collected from 38 students through the focus group discussions. Findings revealed that early sexual debut, intergenerational sex, multiple and concurrent partners, unprotected sex, sex under the influence of alcohol and illegal drugs and transactional sex constitute high risk sexual behaviour. The study concluded that peer pressure, independence, financial needs, drug and alcohol abuse, fear of being an outcast, need to identify with modernity, lack of individual perception of risk, campus culture and sexual partner influence are the factors influencing the adoption of high risk sexual behaviour on campus. Based on the findings and conclusions, recommendations are provided for the development of an HIV prevention programme on campus that is aimed at mitigating the negative consequences of the HIV/AIDS, STIs and unplanned pregnancy epidemics. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die literatuur toon aan dat daar alhoewel daar wel studies onderneem is ten einde die impak van die MIV epidemie onder studente aan openbare universiteite te bepaal onderneem is, daar nog steeds baie min kennis in hierdie verband bestaan. Die faktore wat ‘n rol vervul in hoërisiko seksuele gedrag onder studente aan hierdie universiteit is grootliks onbekend. Ten einde hierdie gaping te probeer oorbrug is hierdie studie onderneem aan ‘n privaat universiteit in Gauteng provinsie in Suid-Afrika. Die doel van die studie was om vas te stel wat voorgraadse studente motiveer om hoë seksuele gedrag te beoefen, wetende dat hulle hulleself blootstel aan MIV-infeksie en onbeplande swangerskappe. ‘n Steekproef van 342 student is in die studie gebruik en ‘n vraelys is deur hulle voltooi. ‘n Verdere 38 student het deelgeneem aan ‘n fokusgroepbespreking. Resultate toon aan dat studente dikwels meer as een seksuele maat het; dat seks beoefen word terwyl studente onder die invloed van alkohol is; dat seks dikwels onbeskermend plaasvind en dat alle hierdie faktore bydraend is tot hoë blootstelling aan MIV-infeksie. Die studie het verder gevind dat groepsdruk, finansiële probleme, dwelm- en alkoholmisbruik en groepsdruk verdere bydraende faktore tot hoë-risiko gedrag onder studente is. Resultate van die studie is gebruik om aanbevelings te maak vir die ontwikkeling van ‘n MIV-voorkomingsprogram wat daarop gerig is om die oordrag MIV en onbeplande swangerskappe aan die universiteit ( wat in die studie ondersoek is ) te bekamp.

In Ethiopia the number of young people going to college is steadily increasing. This predisposes them to risky sexual behaviour which leads to unwanted pregnancy, unsafe abortions and HIV. This study has aimed to determine the patterns of sexual practice and contraceptives use and risk behaviours among those students in central Ethiopia. A descriptive cross-sectional survey was employed. Data on sexual practice, knowledge and contraceptive use were collected from 327 college students. The data were cleaned, entered and analysed using SPSS version 20. The results revealed that despite their knowledge of the methods of safe sex, there are still considerable misconceptions regarding the effectiveness of contraceptives, their side effects and their proper use. In terms of the sexual practice reported by the respondents, 142 (43.4%) practised sex and 110 (77.5%) of respondents had used contraceptives at least once. The age of the respondents, the number of years for which they stayed in college and their fields of study were significantly associated with their sexual practice. In conclusion, a significant number of college students practised sex without using contraceptives to prevent pregnancy, and a considerable number of their partners disapproved of the use of contraceptives / Health Studies / M.A. (Public Health)

This study was designed to determine the prevalence of substance use and risky sexual behaviours among university students in Ethiopia and examine whether personality traits predict substance use and risky sexual behaviours. Using a cross-sectional quantitative design, data were obtained from 2620 undergraduate students selected through stratified multistage sampling. Personality traits were measured through John, Donahue, and Kentle‘s (1991) Big Five Inventories [BFI-44]. Substance use and risky sexual behaviours were assessed using risky behaviour scales adapted from Miller et al. (2004) and Zuckerman and Kuhlman (2000). Statistical analysis was performed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) Version 20 and Analysis of Moment Structure (AMOS) Version 22 software. The findings revealed that 72.18% of the respondents reported that they have used at least one kind of substance in their lifetime and 50.27% of the participants had consumed at least one kind of substance in the past 30 days before the survey. The current prevalence of substance use was 46.3%, 16.1%, 9.9%, 6.8%, and 5.0% for drinking alcohol, chewing khat, smoking shisha, smoking cigarettes and marijuana use respectively. About 40.2% of respondents had sexual intercourse at least once in their lifetime and 25.6% had sex in the past three months before the study. Among sexually active respondents, 35% began sexual intercourse at the age of 17 years old or younger; 64.3% had multiple sexual partners; 53.1% had substance-induced sex, 62.03% had unsafe sex, and 45.3% had casual sex at least once. Males were found to be more at risk of substance use and risky sexual behaviours. Analysis of the structural relation revealed that conscientiousness and agreeableness traits were significant negative predictors and extraversion was a significant positive predictor of substance use and risky sexual behaviours. Neuroticism had a significant direct effect only on substance use. Substance use mediated the effect of personality traits on risky sexual behaviours. There was gender moderation or variation on the effect of personality traits on substance use and risky sexual behaviours. Therefore, the findings may imply that health risk behaviours were highly prevalent among students, which requires special prevention and intervention. Personality traits can be used to identify the vulnerable individuals and design programs aimed at developing behaviours underlying the protective traits. / Psychology / D. Litt. et Phil. (Psychology)

Thesis (MTech (Nursing))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2018 / Health risks are continuing to be a challenge worldwide. Globally, young people aged 15-24 are amongst the most vulnerable groups. It was revealed that between 2007 and 2010, the rate of HIV infection increased in this age group. In sub-Saharan Africa, three out of four new HIV infections are amongst girls aged 15 to 19 years of age. Young women aged 15 to 24 are twice more likely to live with HIV than men in 2019. South Africa is the country with the largest human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infected population in the world, with an estimated 7 million people living with HIV and 380 000 new HIV infections in 2015. University students are a very important group of young people because they are being prepared for the world of work and to assume leadership roles. However, they are the group most exposed to a range of health risks, particularly regarding sexuality and HIV/AIDS. The aim of this study was to explore potential health risk factors amongst students at a Higher Education Institution (HEI) in the Western Cape with regard to sexuality and HIV/AIDS. The objectives of the study were to explore the factors that may increase health risk behaviours amongst students at an HEI and to discover and describe the knowledge university students have regarding potential health risks related to sexuality and HIV/AIDS. A qualitative research design was employed. Focus group interviews were done to collect data and a thematic content analysis was employed to analyse the data. Results revealed that the university students engaged in high-risk sexual behaviours, such as transactional sex, casual sex, multiple partner sexual relationships and unprotected sex. Such behaviours lead to a high-risk of contracting STIs and HIV/AIDS. Among the factors that were found to be contributing to these risky behaviours, was the new-found freedom of being away from the supervision of parents. Peer pressure at HEIs, as well as abuse of alcohol and drugs, also contribute to risky behaviours. Recommendations were that there should be organised and measured approaches to expose both lecturers and the students to HIV/AIDS education through an integrated curriculum design. There should be teamwork amongst lecturers, support staff and students to create powerful discussions and an exchange of ideas to clarify issues regarding HIV/AIDS, sexuality and other related topics to reduce high-risk behaviours and promote solid constructive attitudes amongst the university community.

Using an experimental-comparison group design, data were collected at the beginning and end of a semester to assess the effect of a human sexuality course on students' sexual knowledge, sexual attitude, and sexual behaviors. Data analysis by t-tests showed statistical differences between the experimental and comparison group only on sexual knowledge scores ( p < .001), with the experimental group scoring higher. T-tests showed statistical difference between males and females in sexual attitude (p< .001) and sexual behavior (p< .001) with women scoring higher than men in the experimental group, and also when experimental and control groups were combined. Although not statistically significant, women scored higher in sexual knowledge than males.

While a growing body of literature exists examining how intersecting social identities and structural organizations shape the on-campus hookup script, research examining the impact of technology on the hookup culture has been virtually nonexistent. Addressing this gap, this study adds to a current body of literature on the hookup culture and online dating by exploring how a diverse sample of young women and non-binary, femme individuals understand and negotiate interpersonal sexual scripts through the mobile dating app Tinder. Ultimately, findings from 25 in-depth interviews reveal how Tinder has shaped the sexual scripts of young adult dating into a "hybrid hookup script." Unlike the traditional college hookup culture, which centers the hookup script on fraternity parties, sexual dancing, and drinking, the hybrid hookup script reintroduces traditional dating practices, such as formal dates, into the modern sexual scripts of young adults. Specifically, the hybrid hookup script maintains the traditional gendered expectation that men initiate conversations and dates, while incorporating the patterns of drinking and the expectation of non-relational sex central to the on-campus hookup culture. Nearly all participants engaged in the hybrid hookup script to some extent; yet, women of color were overrepresented among those who eventually opted out of Tinder altogether. In particular, experiences of sexual and racial harassment created an environment in which women of color felt racially objectified and fetishized. As a result, the majority of women of color indicated that they deleted the app and did not intend to go back. Overall, results underscore how the Tinder app may be operating to rearticulate existing hierarchies of gender and race.