Luanqi Ruan1, Rui Zhao2, Jason J Ong3, Xiaoxing Fu4, Ying Xiong5, Yan Chen5, Da He5, Yujia Chen6, Xun Zhuang7, Lei Zhang8. 1. Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu, PR China; and Melbourne Sexual Health Centre, Alfred Health, Melbourne, Vic., Australia; and Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, College of Public Health, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, PR China. 2. China-Australia Joint Research Center for Infectious Diseases, School of Public Health, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi'an, Shaanxi, PR China. 3. Melbourne Sexual Health Centre, Alfred Health, Melbourne, Vic., Australia; and China-Australia Joint Research Center for Infectious Diseases, School of Public Health, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi'an, Shaanxi, PR China; and Department of Clinical Research, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK; and Central Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Vic., Australia. 4. School of Sociology and Population Studies, Renmin University of China, Beijing, PR China. 5. Delan Bright Charity Foundation, Changsha, Hunan, PR China. 6. Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu, PR China. 7. Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu, PR China; and Corresponding authors. Emails: ntzhuang@163.com; lei.zhang1@monash.edu. 8. Melbourne Sexual Health Centre, Alfred Health, Melbourne, Vic., Australia; and Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, College of Public Health, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, PR China; and China-Australia Joint Research Center for Infectious Diseases, School of Public Health, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi'an, Shaanxi, PR China; and Central Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Vic., Australia; and Corresponding authors. Emails: ntzhuang@163.com; lei.zhang1@monash.edu.
Abstract
Background Elimination of HIV is a public health priority in China, but there has been reports of an upsurge in HIV among young people. A nationwide cross-sectional survey was conducted to assess the awareness of HIV knowledge, attitudes towards homosexuality and practice of sexual behaviours among Chinese aged 15-24 years. METHODS: The face-to-face survey was conducted from June to August 2017, collecting data on sociodemographic characteristics, HIV-related knowledge, attitudes towards homosexuality and practice of sexual behaviours among Chinese senior high school and university students. A generalised linear model (GLM) was used to assess the different levels of HIV knowledge between groups, and identify the key contributors to HIV knowledge scores. RESULTS: The survey was completed by 73.6% (1355/1840) of the students approached. The overall level of HIV-related knowledge was low (58.9%, 10.6/18); 48.0% (650/1355) supported same-sex marriage; and 6.9% (93/1355) self-identified as homosexual or bisexual. The major factors associated with higher scores [mean ± standard deviation (s.d.)] in HIV knowledge among students included: having received school-based HIV education (11.47 ± 3.51 vs 9.02 ± 4.14, P < 0.05); support for same-sex marriage (11.69 ± 3.33 vs 9.49 ± 4.29, P < 0.05) and older age (11.61 ± 2.78 vs 9.87 ± 4.17, P < 0.05). Compared with females, males were significantly more likely (all P < 0.05) to report masturbation (60.7% vs 7.6%), pornography experiences (77.4% vs 35.3%), sexual encounters (24.6% vs 12.3%), casual sex (37.0% vs 18.1%) and sex under the influence of alcohol (29.5% vs 12.8%). CONCLUSIONS: There is is still much room for improvement in terms of HIV/AIDS prevention and health education for Chinese young people, and more comprehensive and diverse models of education for HIV prevention are urgently needed.
Background Elimination of HIV is a public health priority in China, but there has been reports of an upsurge in HIV among young people. A nationwide cross-sectional survey was conducted to assess the awareness of HIV knowledge, attitudes towards homosexuality and practice of sexual behaviours among Chinese aged 15-24 years. METHODS: The face-to-face survey was conducted from June to August 2017, collecting data on sociodemographic characteristics, HIV-related knowledge, attitudes towards homosexuality and practice of sexual behaviours among Chinese senior high school and university students. A generalised linear model (GLM) was used to assess the different levels of HIV knowledge between groups, and identify the key contributors to HIV knowledge scores. RESULTS: The survey was completed by 73.6% (1355/1840) of the students approached. The overall level of HIV-related knowledge was low (58.9%, 10.6/18); 48.0% (650/1355) supported same-sex marriage; and 6.9% (93/1355) self-identified as homosexual or bisexual. The major factors associated with higher scores [mean ± standard deviation (s.d.)] in HIV knowledge among students included: having received school-based HIV education (11.47 ± 3.51 vs 9.02 ± 4.14, P < 0.05); support for same-sex marriage (11.69 ± 3.33 vs 9.49 ± 4.29, P < 0.05) and older age (11.61 ± 2.78 vs 9.87 ± 4.17, P < 0.05). Compared with females, males were significantly more likely (all P < 0.05) to report masturbation (60.7% vs 7.6%), pornography experiences (77.4% vs 35.3%), sexual encounters (24.6% vs 12.3%), casual sex (37.0% vs 18.1%) and sex under the influence of alcohol (29.5% vs 12.8%). CONCLUSIONS: There is is still much room for improvement in terms of HIV/AIDS prevention and health education for Chinese young people, and more comprehensive and diverse models of education for HIV prevention are urgently needed.