STABILITY AND CHANGE IN ADOLESCENTS SEXUAL HEALTH-RELATED KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDES AND BEHAVIOR IN QUEENSLAND

This study examined patterns oi change over a three year period in the sexual behaviours and STD-related knowledge and attitudes of secondar y school students in Queensland, Information was derived from two self -report, anonymous, cross-sectional surveys in a random selection of s tate secondary schools in 1992 (13 schools, 1264 students) and 1995 (1 4 schools, 1404 students). Results indicated that there was a small bu t statistically significant improvement over rime In students' awarene ss of some STDs. Knowledge of ways in which HIV is transmitted remaine d high. Students' attitudes toward HIV positive people were generally supportive, although an improvement over time in the attitudes of fema les was not evident among the males: in fact. the boys were somewhat l ess likely in 1995 than in 1992 to have positive attitudes. There was no change over time in the proportion of students who said that they h ave had sexual intercourse (approximately one-third of males and femal es in years 10, 11 and 12)and similarly there was no change in the pre valence of some other types of sexual behaviour. One significant behav iour change was for a reduction. among sexually active females, in the percentage who said they had had multiple sexual partners in the prec eding year (from 44.8% to 25.3%). The majority of students reported th at a condom had been used on the most recent occasion of intercourse a nd this was fairly stable across the two surveys.