title: Heterosexual awareness and practices among Lebanese male conscripts.
abstract: To assess sexual behaviour and awareness about sexually transmitted infections (STIs) among young male adults in Lebanon, and to explore determinants associated with increasing levels of sexual risk, a cross-sectional survey of 730 conscripts was conducted. About 50% reported any lifetime heterosexual experience. Non-mutually exclusive sex predominated, and only half of the respondents reported consistent condom use during insertive vaginal sex. Higher sexual risk-taking was associated with urban residence, higher education, lower family crowding and younger age at first sexual experience. A national strategy with epidemiological and behavioural surveillance and educational programmes must be initiated before sexual risk-taking and incidence of STIs become a major public health issue.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Public Health, Lebanese University, Beirut, Lebanon.
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Adib
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Akoum
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: El-Assaad
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jurjus
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001364:Awareness; D017280:Condoms / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003441:Crowding; D004522:Educational Status; D005191:Family Characteristics; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007861:Lebanon / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008571:Men / Q000193:education / Q000523:psychology*; D008889:Military Personnel / Q000193:education / Q000523:psychology; D020380:Needs Assessment; D011159:Population Surveillance; D012111:Residence Characteristics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012736:Sex Education / Q000592:standards*; D012725:Sexual Behavior / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012749:Sexually Transmitted Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires