title: Sexual behaviour of Croatian blood donors as a threat to the health of blood recipients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In this cross-sectional study we assessed the prevalence of the various blood safety sexual risk behaviours among blood donors from East Croatia and the possibilities for improving the present blood donor screening procedure.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study included 423 blood donors of both sexes who completed a specially designed anonymous questionnaire immediately after their blood donations. The questionnaire contained questions on demographic data, sexual preferences, and possible sexual risk behaviours in the period before the blood donation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The study revealed that the most common forms of sexual risk behaviour among Croatian blood donors had been irregular condom use during sexual contacts with new partners (294/423; 69.5%) and five or more sexual partners during the lifetime (213/423; 50.4%). More male than female subjects had had five or more sexual partners during their lifetime (p<0.0001). Compared to married donors, single subjects more frequently reported sexual contacts without using a condom with their new partners in the period from the last blood donation (p<0.0001) and also in the period of 1 month before current blood donation (p=0.0060). A larger number of younger than older subjects had practiced different types of sexual intercourses during the lifetime (p=0.0002) but more older than younger subjects reported irregular use of condom on sexual contacts with a new partner during their lifetime (p=0.0231).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Blood donors who were involved in various forms of sexual risk behaviour represent a serious threat to the health of blood recipients. In this respect a new approach to blood donor screening procedure with additional questions on sexual behaviour in anonymous donor questionnaires would improve the safety of transfusion treatment in East Croatia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine Osijek, Croatia. maja.miskulin@inet.hr
authors.forename: Maja
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Miskulin
authors.forename: Dinko
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Puntaric
authors.forename: Ivan
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Miskulin
authors.forename: Bruno
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Atalic
authors.forename: Tomislav
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Dijanic
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001782:Blood Donors; D017523:Croatia; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D046148:Donor Selection / Q000592:standards; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012725:Sexual Behavior; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult