Autoeficácia no uso de preservativos em comunidade universitária

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate condom use self-efficacy among the university community of a Public University in the countryside of Minas Gerais. Methods: This is an observational, cross-sectional, and descriptive study with a quantitative approach. The scale for self-efficacy evaluation was the Condom Use Self-Efficacy Scale (CUSES), and a sociodemographic instrument was also used. Results: The study included 342 volunteers from the university community, with the majority being undergraduate students (n=319, 93.3%), were aged between 18 and 25 years (N=275, 80.4%), self-identified as white (n=205, 59.9%), female gender (n=253, 74.0%), with a predominance of heterosexuality (n=222, 64.9%) as the declared sexuality. High scores in condom use self-efficacy were observed. There were no significant differences in self-efficacy scores when comparing the heterosexual group and the LGBTQIA+ community. Conclusion: The university community showed satisfactory knowledge about the self-efficacy of condom use. The fact that the self-efficacy levels in condom use between heterosexuals and LGBTQIA+ were not disparate suggests that current educational policies do have a positive impact on the population. It also highlights the importance of efforts to create projects and strategies that are inclusive and targeted at all community segments.