Background: Lack of knowledge and awareness of the most common sexually transmitted infections (STIs), their routes of transmission, and prevention are often contributing factors to the spread of infection. In the Saudi community, where discussing sexual health is considered taboo, it particularly increases the risk of incurring STIs. Objective: We aimed to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors of adults in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, toward STIs and the available preventive measures. Materials and Methods: The study surveyed 495 adults in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, using a stratified random sampling technique. The self-administered electronic questionnaire covered sociodemographic factors, beliefs, feelings, and intentions regarding sexually transmitted diseases and recommended practices to reduce STI risk. Results: Most participants were female (74.1%) and Saudi (90.7%). The largest age group was 18–28 years (70.1%). Participants were evaluated on their knowledge of STIs, and the statement with the highest percentage of participants answering “True” was “HPV can lead to cancer in women” (60.0%). On the FF, the statement with the highest percentage of participants answering “always” was “I avoid intimacy when I have sores or irritation in my genital area” (61.5%). The median score for the belief subscale was 20 (IQR: 17–22), and the median score for the feeling subscale was 27 (IQR: 25–29). Conclusion: The findings of this study suggest that there is some lack of awareness among adults in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, regarding sexually transmitted infections. Our findings could inform the development of appropriate sexual behavior education programs for adults in the region.
Alsultan et al. (Tue,) studied this question.