Abstract
Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are pathogens spread mainly by unprotected
sexual intercourse. STIs can be transmitted during pregnancy, childbirth,
breastfeeding, and through infected blood. Some STIs can present symptoms or show
no symptoms, and if untreated, they can lead to long-term effects. Undergraduate
students must have adequate knowledge of STIs and their long-term effects to practice
healthy sexual behaviours and prevent the spread of STIs. Undergraduate students
are often involved in risky sexual behaviours due to low self-consciousness, peer
pressure, and knowledge.
The purpose of the study was to establish undergraduate students’ knowledge of STIs
and their long-term effects and make recommendations to HEIs’ healthcare providers
presenting health education programmes to facilitate undergraduate students’
knowledge about STIs and their long-term effects on their reproductive health.
The research question was: What knowledge do undergraduate students have about
STIs and the long-term effects of STIs?
A quantitative, descriptive, non-experimental, and contextual design was used to
determine undergraduate students’ knowledge of STIs and their long-term effects. A
simple random sampling method was used to determine the population for the study,
which was 379 respondents. After the undergraduate students were approached, 379
respondents willingly participated and signed written consent. The respondents
completed a self-report questionnaire, which was the data collection tool. The
collected data were captured on an Excel spreadsheet and presented as descriptive
statistics and frequency distribution using tables and figures. The statistician used the
IBM SPSS version 28 software program to analyse the data.
Validity and reliability were adhered to throughout the research. Ethical clearance was
obtained from the university and the higher education institution before data collection
commenced. The following ethical principles were followed throughout the research:
v
informed consent, autonomy, nonmaleficence, beneficence, justice, privacy,
anonymity, and confidentiality.
The response rate was 100%. The study’s findings provided an in-depth
understanding of undergraduate students’ knowledge of STIs and their long-term
effects at a higher education institution. It allowed the researcher to make
recommendations to healthcare providers presenting health education programmes to
facilitate undergraduate students’ knowledge about STIs and their long-term effects
on their reproductive health.
STIs are among the most common communicable diseases globally and are
associated with significant morbidity and mortality worldwide. The World Health
Organisation recommends intensive behavioural counselling to prevent STIs, and it
also recommends screening for individual STIs to assist in eradicating these diseases
and their long-term effects.