title: A cross-sectional study to explore postgraduate students' understanding of and beliefs about sexual and reproductive health in a public university, Malaysia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The main sexual and reproductive health issues among young people are premarital sexual intercourse, unwanted pregnancies, unsafe abortions and sexually transmitted diseases including Human Immunodeficiency Virus. The aim of this study was to determine the knowledge related to sexual and reproductive health among Malaysian postgraduate students in a public university in Malaysia.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional study was carried out among postgraduate students by systematic random sampling technique. A pre-tested self administered questionnaire was used to collect the data.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Out of 434 respondents, the majority of students were female (78.6 %) and single (78.3 %). The overall mean age of respondents was 27.0 ranging from 20 to 46 years of age. The main sources of information for sexual and reproductive health awareness were the internet (78.6 %) and newspaper (61.8 %). The majority (97.9 %) of the students knew that AIDS is a sexually transmitted disease. Most of them believed that the spread of sexually transmitted diseases was through shaking hands (92.1 %). Use of condoms was perceived to be the best way to avoid sexually transmitted diseases (88.4 %). Sexual and reproductive health knowledge was significantly associated with the students' age, marital status and faculty. The socio-demographic factors and current educational status accounted for a significant 9 % of the variability in sexual and reproductive health knowledge, f (7, 426) = 11, p <0.001.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The postgraduate students' level of knowledge on sexual and reproductive health was not satisfactory. Sexual and reproductive health knowledge was associated with the students' marital status and faculty. Intervention programs related to sexual and reproductive health are recommended.
authors: Department of Community Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM, Serdang, Malaysia. sh_soleymanei@yahoo.com.
authors: Shahla
authors: S
authors: Soleymani
authors: Department of Community Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM, Serdang, Malaysia. hejar@upm.edu.my.
authors: Hejar
authors: H
authors: Abdul Rahman
authors: Department of Community Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM, Serdang, Malaysia. lekhraj@upm.edu.my.
authors: Rampal
authors: R
authors: Lekhraj
authors: Department of Community Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM, Serdang, Malaysia. norafiah@upm.edu.my.
authors: Nor Afiah
authors: NA
authors: Mohd Zulkefli
authors: Department of Nursing, College of Science, Hamedan branch, Islamic Azad University Hamedan, Hamedan, Iran. nmatinnia@yahoo.com.
authors: Nasrin
authors: N
authors: Matinnia
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008296:Malaysia; D008297:Male; D017533:Marital Status; D008875:Middle Aged; D060728:Reproductive Health; D012725:Sexual Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology*