title: Female undergraduate fine arts students: a high-risk population for multiple sexual partners, unwanted pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections in China.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare risky sexual behaviour and risk factors associated with unwanted pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) among female fine arts undergraduates and students of other disciplines in China.
  
  
  METHODS
  Anonymously completed questionnaires were received from 4769 unmarried female undergraduates, recruited using randomised cluster sampling. Multiple regression analyses were used to examine factors associated with lifetime number of sex partners, self-reported pregnancy, and STIs.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The proportion of students who had ever had sex was higher among female fine arts majors (35%) than among other females (15%). Not using a condom at first sex (87%), multiple lifetime partners (44%), and extramarital lover now or ever in lifetime (9%) were more common in sexually experienced fine arts students. Self-reported pregnancy (23%) and STIs (33%) were also more common in fine arts students. Years spent in school, understanding or approval of multiple sex partners, younger age at first sex and coercive first sex were associated with multiple lifetime partners, which was a risk factor for both unintended pregnancy and STIs.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Female fine arts students hold more tolerant attitudes toward sex than other female students. They were more inclined to risky sexual behaviours, and thus more vulnerable to unwanted pregnancy and STIs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Wuhan University, China.
authors.forename: Yuliang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zou
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.forename: Haocheng
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Rucheng
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Danqin
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Shiyue
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D011159:Population Surveillance; D011247:Pregnancy; D011275:Pregnancy, Unwanted / Q000523:psychology*; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012725:Sexual Behavior; D012747:Sexual Partners; D012749:Sexually Transmitted Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014495:Universities; D055815:Young Adult