Yan Hong¹, Xiaoming Li, PhD², Xinguang Chen, MD, PhD², Hongmei Yang, MD, PhD², Hongjie Liu, PhD², and Bonita Stanton, MD². (1) Department of Health Policy & Management, Johns Hopkins University, Bloomberg School of Public Health, 624 N. Broadway, #750, Baltimore, MD 21205, 410-467-1987, yhong@jhsph.edu, (2) Pediatric Prevention Research Center, Wayne State University, 4201 St. Antoinie Street, UHC 6D, Detroit, MI 48201

Background: Despite of growing interest in studying internet usage as well as sexual behaviors and attitudes among college students, so far, very limited research have been conducted in China, the most populous country where AIDS epidemic is growing fast and internet usage is developing rapidly.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey “Chinese Youth Health Risk Behavior Inventory-College Version” was administered among 1874 college students in an eastern province of China.

Results: Most of the college students were internet users, but the time spent, frequency and purposes of using internet varied with demographic characteristics such as gender and grade. A big proportion of students reported making “web friends” and dating “web lovers”; male students reported a higher percentage of visiting pornographic websites, sending erotic contents, or attacking others via internet. Students’ online risky behaviors were also associated with their permissive sexual attitudes and status of sexual relationship (eg. have no date, dating but no sex and have sex). Although internet was an important source of sex and HIV information, most of students had little awareness of safe sex and perceived little risk of HIV infection.

Conclusion: Chinese college students’ internet behaviors suggest their vulnerability and an urgency to develop culturally appropriate sex education and HIV prevention targeting this population. This study also highlights the potential to utilize internet as a means of intervention delivery for young adults like college students.

Learning Objectives:

• Assess behavioral patterns of internet usage among Chinese college students, especially those related to sexuality and risky behaviors.
• Examine the relationship between students’ internet behavioral patterns and their sexual perceptions, sexual behaviors and knowledge of HIV.
• Articulate the importance and urgency of developing culturally appropriate sex education and HIV prevention targeting this population.

Keywords: Internet, College Students

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.