HIV/AIDS education: does knowledge affect behavior? a study between African-American college students attending historically black colleges and universites and traditionally white institutions

摘要

This study examined the relationship among the dependent variables of condom usage, casual sex patterns, and drug and alcohol usage of colleges and the dependent variables of education/knowledge of safer sex practices, awareness of sexual intentions as it relates to safer sex practices, attitudes towards safer sex practices, ideas of susceptibility towards infection, and student demographics. The demographic information analyzed gender, sexual orientation, student classification, type of college attending, setting of sex education, family background, range of sexual partners, and the site being surveyed. This study revealed that education was not a factor in the in the sexual behavior of students. Students were knowledgeable of safer sex practices, aware of the risks of infection and, attitudinally they believed in safer sex leading to condom usage. The problem is that regardless of what they know, sexual history, and attitudes towards safer sex practices, African-American students do not have the intent to engage in safe sex.