Knowledge and attitudes towards sexually transmitted illnesses (STIs) among the general population of Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Background: We aim to determine the level of general knowledge and attitudes among the population of Saudi Arabia regarding sexually transmitted illnesses (STI). In addition, we aim to educate participants about the most common STIs, and explore how this influences the participants’ attitudes and perceptions. Methods: This study is a cross-sectional web-based survey of the general population of Saudi Arabia. The sample was enrolled randomly by distributing the survey through social media over a two-month period. 420 subjects between the ages of (15–60) participated in the study. Results: Among the 420 total responses, 405 (96%) participants were included based on the absence of missing data in their answers. Most of the participants (77%) were females. More than half of the respondents were single (59%), 24 years old or more (57%), Saudi (52%), and had a bachelor’s degree (65%). Forty-eight percent (48%) of the participants were related to the medical field. Only 11% knew someone previously diagnosed with STIs. The mean score of overall knowledge about STI was 8.79 ± 3.17 (median = 9) out of a maximum score of 20. The scores ranged from 2–16. A higher percentage of the participants (48.6%) had a low level of knowledge. Two-hundred eighty-one participants showed interest in viewing the attached educational material and subsequently completed questions on attitude regarding STI education. The mean score for attitude was 5.89 ± 1.52 out of a total of 7 (median = 6). Around 73% of all participants had a positive attitude towards STI education. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that targeting the younger population by incorporating STI-related educational material into school curricula would overcome the stigma associated with these illnesses by raising awareness and improving attitude towards them.