Objectives This study, guided by the Knowledge-Attitude-Practice (KAP) theory, aimed to investigate the knowledge, attitudes, and needs regarding sex education among undergraduates without medical background at Huazhong University of Science and Technology in Wuhan, China. Methods This cross-sectional study included 1044 undergraduate students at 17 to 24 years old. An online self-administered questionnaire was used to obtain participants’ responses. Results Among the 1044 participants, only 350 (33.52%) participants reported they have got sex education previously. 750 (71.84%) participants considered primary school is the suitable time to start sex education. 807 (77.30%) participants agreed that sex education is helpful to improve reproductive health. More than half of the participants (727, 69.64%) believed undergraduates have confusion about sex and reproduction, and 725 (69.44%) participants thought that their knowledge of sex and reproduction is adequate to resolve the confusion. Almost all of the participants (1029, 98.56%) stated it is necessary to provide sex education within the university setting. The top two sources to obtain knowledge on sex and reproduction were the internet (930, 89.08%) and the school education (770, 73.75%). Optional courses (642, 61.49%) and seminars (673, 64.46%) are mostly selected as the methods to provide sex education in university. The undergraduates preferred to talk about sex-related topics with their same sex friends (823, 78.83%). Participants from urban childhood residences were significantly more likely to have received sex education than those from rural areas (39.6% vs. 21.2%, p < 0.001). Participants with higher parental education levels were significantly more likely to have received sex education than those with less educated parents (Father: 42.7% vs. 30.7%, 23%, 25%, Mother: 46.8% vs. 29.9%, 26.4%, 19.8%, p < 0.001). The results of multivariate logistic regression analysis confirmed childhood residence (rural vs. urban: OR = 0.591, 95% CI: 0.397–0.879, p = 0.01) and mother’s education level (senior high school vs. university or above: OR = 0.553, 95% CI: 0.381–0.804, p = 0.002; junior high school vs. university or above: OR = 0.576, 95% CI: 0.357–0.932, p = 0.024; primary school or below vs. university or above: OR = 0.438, 95% CI: 0.224–0.857, p = 0.016) were significantly associated with the prior sex education. Conclusion There is a strong need for effective sex education among Chinese young people. An integrated-system which engaged parents, teachers, students as well as the social circumstances should be built up to promote young people’s sexual and reproductive health.

Attitudes to sex education among undergraduates without medical background in China

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2026年8月4日

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Fang Fang,
Ke Ni,
Kai Zhao,
Chunyan Liu

摘要

Objectives

This study, guided by the Knowledge-Attitude-Practice (KAP) theory, aimed to investigate the knowledge, attitudes, and needs regarding sex education among undergraduates without medical background at Huazhong University of Science and Technology in Wuhan, China.

Methods

This cross-sectional study included 1044 undergraduate students at 17 to 24 years old. An online self-administered questionnaire was used to obtain participants’ responses.

Results

Among the 1044 participants, only 350 (33.52%) participants reported they have got sex education previously. 750 (71.84%) participants considered primary school is the suitable time to start sex education. 807 (77.30%) participants agreed that sex education is helpful to improve reproductive health. More than half of the participants (727, 69.64%) believed undergraduates have confusion about sex and reproduction, and 725 (69.44%) participants thought that their knowledge of sex and reproduction is adequate to resolve the confusion. Almost all of the participants (1029, 98.56%) stated it is necessary to provide sex education within the university setting. The top two sources to obtain knowledge on sex and reproduction were the internet (930, 89.08%) and the school education (770, 73.75%). Optional courses (642, 61.49%) and seminars (673, 64.46%) are mostly selected as the methods to provide sex education in university. The undergraduates preferred to talk about sex-related topics with their same sex friends (823, 78.83%). Participants from urban childhood residences were significantly more likely to have received sex education than those from rural areas (39.6% vs. 21.2%, p < 0.001). Participants with higher parental education levels were significantly more likely to have received sex education than those with less educated parents (Father: 42.7% vs. 30.7%, 23%, 25%, Mother: 46.8% vs. 29.9%, 26.4%, 19.8%, p < 0.001). The results of multivariate logistic regression analysis confirmed childhood residence (rural vs. urban: OR = 0.591, 95% CI: 0.397–0.879, p = 0.01) and mother’s education level (senior high school vs. university or above: OR = 0.553, 95% CI: 0.381–0.804, p = 0.002; junior high school vs. university or above: OR = 0.576, 95% CI: 0.357–0.932, p = 0.024; primary school or below vs. university or above: OR = 0.438, 95% CI: 0.224–0.857, p = 0.016) were significantly associated with the prior sex education.

Conclusion

There is a strong need for effective sex education among Chinese young people. An integrated-system which engaged parents, teachers, students as well as the social circumstances should be built up to promote young people’s sexual and reproductive health.