Introduction:

Adolescents and young adults are frequently involved in risky sexual behavior (unprotected sex, sex with casual partners, promiscuity, early sexual initiation, etc.) bringing with them, unplanned pregnancies, sexually transmitted infections, suicides, abortions, academic and labor affectations.

The objective of the study was to identify risky sexual behaviors and associated factors in students at a university in Barranquilla, 2019.

Materials and methods:

Study descriptive-correlational cross-sectional, the sexual risk survey was used, which evaluated risky sexual behavior in university students of Barranquilla in the last six months, were generated correlation coefficients Chi-square Pearson (95% confidence level; p≤0.05) to measure the association between sexual risk scores and sociodemographic and academic factors.

Results:

63% of participants initiated sexual activity before the age of 18. The 87% have participated one or more times in risky sexual behaviors: vaginal sex without a condom (73%), fellatio without a condom (60.3%), number of partners with whom they have sexual behaviors (66.2%) and unexpected sexual experiences (54.4%). Men and law students had higher sexual risk scores than women and nursing students.

Conclusion:

The university students are at risk and participating in risky sexual behavior, which could affect their health and life Project. The major risk factors were; early sex, gender, age >20 years, risky sexual practices such as vaginal, oral, and anal unprotected sex and impulsive and unplanned sexual behaviors.

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