Original scientific paper
https://doi.org/10.3325/cmj.2023.64.186
Changes in sexually transmitted infections-related sexual risk-taking among young Croatian adults: a 2005- 2021 three-wave populationbased study
Ivan Landripet
orcid.org/0000-0002-6276-9742
; Department of Sociology, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
*
Ivana Božičević
orcid.org/0000-0002-2263-4464
; School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
Valerio Baćak
; School of Criminal Justice, Rutgers University, Newark, New Jersey, USA
Aleksandar Štulhofer
orcid.org/0000-0001-5138-3644
; Department of Sociology, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
* Corresponding author.
Abstract
Aim To assess the prevalence and dynamics of risky sexual
behaviors among Croatian emerging adults in the 2005-
2021 period.
Methods Three surveys were conducted on large-scale
national samples of young adults aged 18-24 in 2005
(N=1092) and 18-25 in 2010 and 2021 (N=1005 and
N=1210, respectively). The 2005 and 2010 studies were
conducted with face-to-face interviews on stratified probabilistic samples. The 2021 study was conducted by computer-assisted web-interviewing on a quota-based random sample from the largest national online panel.
Results Compared with 2005 and 2010, the age at coital
debut increased for both genders in 2021 (by a median of
one year, to 18 years, and by a mean of half a year, to 17.5
years, in men and to 17.9 in women). In the 2005-2021 period, condom use increased by about 15% both at first intercourse (to 80%) and in consistent use (to 40% in women
and 50% in men). When we controlled for basic socio-demographics, Cox and logistic regressions indicated that, for
both genders, in 2005 and 2010 compared with 2021, the
risks/odds were significantly higher for reporting an earlier sexual debut (adjusted hazard ratio 1.25-1.37), multiple
sexual partners (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 1.62-3.31), and
concurrent relationships (AOR 3.36-4.64), while the odds
were lower for condom use at first sexual intercourse (AOR
0.24-0.46) and consistently (AOR 0.51-0.64).
Conclusion Risky sexual behaviors decreased in the 2021
survey compared with the previous two waves, in both
genders. Nonetheless, sexual risk-taking is still frequent
among young Croatian adults. The introduction of sexuality education and other national-level public health interventions to reduce sexual risk-taking thus remains a public
health imperative
Keywords
Hrčak ID:
331535
URI
Publication date:
30.6.2023.
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