Students’ behaviors in the context of the risk of HIV infection

Abstract The HIV infection rate in Poland is 3.3 per 100,000 and concerns mostly young adults. 2,764 students from 12 universities in the Podkarpackie region were examined. A high percentage of students had experiences of sexual contacts without condoms: vaginal contacts—40%, oral—22%, anal—14%, with strangers (8.3%) or little-known persons (9.6%), while alcohol-intoxicated (both partners—20.3%, one partner—14.8%) or drug-intoxicated (both partners—4%, one—4.2%). 3.8% admitted to having injected drugs, 1.2%—tattooed, and 4.9%—pierced in non-sterile conditions. Students who were not tested also displayed risky behaviors.