Abstract
Author(s): Karolina Kaczmarczyk
Sexually transmitted diseases can be the cause of serious medical, sexual, psychological, and emotional threats. The factors which contribute to the prevalence of sexually transmitted diseases are often casual sexual contacts without barrier protection. Young people start their sexual activity earlier, and this is connected with, among others, easier access to the media and topics related with sex, and is a result of a low level of sexual and health education. The aim of the work is to assess the level of knowledge in the field of sexually transmitted diseases and the consequences of risky sexual behavior of women and men. The surveys were conducted in a group of 118 men and women aged between 18–50 years, based on the author’s questionnaire. The author’s own research reveals that the interest in sexually transmitted diseases is predominant among young people. Of the respondents, 83.9% were sexually active. The average age of sexual initiation was 19 years for both women and men. The respondents mostly assessed their knowledge as low (30.6% women and 42.4% men) and sufficient (43.5% women and 33.3% men). There is a need to educate the society regarding medical, sexual, and psychological consequences of sexually transmitted diseases.