The Evaluation of Knowledge and Influential Factors of Sexually Transmitted Diseases of Health Services Vocational College Students

Objective: This study has been conducted to evaluate the knowledge of the Erciyes University Halil Bayraktar Health Services Vocational College students about sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and the factors affecting it. Method: This is a descriptive study, made on Halil Bayraktar Health Services Vocational School students, at fall half term, in the 2007-2008 academic year. It had been planned to iclude 551 students registered to I and II grades of the school in current semester. However, for different reasons like not attending to school by various reasons, neither to complete nor to take questionnaire, 288 students in total participated in the study. A questionnaire had been given to students containing 48 questions totally of which 20 were on to measure the level of knowledge on the STD’s. The questions for measuring the level of knowledge was evaluated over 100 points. The students taking 50 points and over were considered to have satisfactory information about STDs. The obtained data was computerized and statistically analyzed. Results: Ninety eight (34.0 %) students were male and 190 (66.0 %) were female. The number of married students was 21 (7.3 %). The percentage of students graduated from health services vocational college was 65.3 %. It was determined that 27.1 % of the students has satisfactory information on STD (50 points and over), and 72.9 % found to have inadequate information (under 50 points). The factors affecting to have satisfactory information were as follows; being a senior class student, being a member of a divided family, and graduated from a health college. 67.4 % of the 285 cases had answered as ‘yes’ to the question on if they needed to get information about STDs and 91.2 % had declaired that they will attend the meetings related to the subject. The first remembered diseases were AIDS, gonorrhea and hepatitis among students, when they had been asked about STDs. The answer most given on the method of protection from STDs was the usage of condom (59.6 %). Less frequent the students were expressed other protections methods such as monogamy and keep away from sexual intercourse. Conclusion: In order to raise the level of knowledge of the students on STDs, considering that they take the knowledge especially from school, there are in need of seminars that will be held about STDs and protection methods.