Articles

Beliefs About Protection Against Sexually Transmitted Infections Attributed to Emergency Contraception Among University Students

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Objective: To describe beliefs about protection against sexually transmitted infections (STIs) attributed to oral emergency contraception among university students.

Methods: An observational, cross-sectional, descriptive study included 377 records from a survey conducted in 2025. Responses to a question about protection against STIs, sources of information on contraceptive methods, and demographic characteristics were analyzed. Absolute frequencies and percentages were calculated without hypothesis testing.

Results: Participants included 254 women (67.4%) and 123 men (32.6%). A total of 264 students (70.0%) selected the response indicating no protection against STIs; 113 (30.0%) attributed some protection to the medication. The most frequent misconception was that it protects against vaginal infections (70; 18.6%). The internet was the most frequently reported information source (233; 61.8%), followed by school (92; 24.4%). Among those reporting the internet, 76 (32.6%) selected a response attributing protection against infections.

Conclusions: Three in ten participants attributed protection against infections to emergency contraception. The findings support proposing educational content that distinguishes pregnancy prevention from STI prevention. They do not establish sexual behaviors or causal effects of information sources.

Sexually Transmitted Infections in Children and Adolescents Who Are Victims of Sexual Violence: Prevalence, Risk Factors, and Challenges for Healthcare Services

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Sexual violence against children and adolescents is a global public health issue with far-reaching impacts on the victims’ physical, psychological, and social health. One important but often overlooked physical health consequence is the risk of sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Children and adolescents who are victims of sexual violence are in a very vulnerable condition for contracting STIs due to power imbalances, limited ability to give consent, and delays in obtaining adequate medical examinations and services. This article aims to comprehensively review the literature on the prevalence, types of STIs, related factors, and the implementation of screening and healthcare services for children and adolescents who are victims of sexual violence. The method used is a literature review of relevant international research articles, including retrospective studies, cross-sectional studies, cohort studies, and clinical audits, obtained from reputable scientific databases. The review results indicate that the prevalence of STIs among children and adolescents who are victims of sexual violence varies across studies, with the most frequently reported types of STIs including Chlamydia trachomatis, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, syphilis, Mycoplasma genitalium, human papillomavirus, and HIV. The factors most consistently associated with STIs include adolescent age, female sex, sexual violence with penetration, repeated violence, commercial sexual exploitation, and delayed medical examination after the incident. Additionally, this review identifies significant gaps in the implementation of STI screening, medical follow-up, and the continuity of healthcare services for victims. The conclusion of this study emphasizes the importance of strengthening integrated, risk-based, and trauma-sensitive healthcare services in the management of children and adolescents who are victims of sexual violence, in order to improve early detection and prevent complications from sexually transmitted infections.