Assessment of Knowledge, Attitudes, and Behaviors Regarding Sexually Transmitted Infections During Late Adolescence

The aim of this study was to assess the knowledge level, attitudes, and behaviors regarding sexually transmitted infections (STIs) among young individuals aged 18 to 21 years. This study was designed as a single-center, cross-sectional, descriptive, and analytical study. A total of 157 individuals aged between 18 and 21 years who presented to Family Medicine outpatient clinics for any reason were included. In addition to sociodemographic data, participants were administered a questionnaire developed by the researchers based on a literature review to assess their knowledge about STIs, along with questions evaluating their attitudes and behaviors. The mean age of participants was 19.84±1.12 years. A total of 74.5% reported that they had not received any prior education on STIs. The mean STI knowledge score was 18.06±5.20 (range: 7–31). A statistically significant positive correlation was found between knowledge score and both age and age of sexual debut (p=0.015 and p=0.024, respectively). Participants who had received education on STIs or obtained information from school or healthcare professionals had significantly higher knowledge scores (p