Abstract
This paper is aimed to verify whether the knowledge and beliefs
of female medical freshmen about HIV infection, their personal
risk perception, and their sexual behaviour differs from their
female peers, in view of the possibility of female medical
student-based peer education. A purposive, theoretical quota
sampling method was used to recruit the target population. A
self-administered anonymous questionnaire was delivered to
both female medical and non medical freshmen during March
2004 (n = 266: 124 medical students and 142 non medical students)
in Catania (Sicily). The data were analysed for the whole
sample and for the two groups of students individually. The
Chi-square test was used to compare data from the two groups
of students. Results showed that knowledge and risk perception
about HIV infection were higher for medical students when
compared with non medical students. Moreover, a lower rate
of sexually active medical students and a higher rate of condom
use was found among them. Since female medical students
seem more sensitive to risk perception and aware of healthier
lifestyles, they could be useful in peer sexual education and
appropriate prevention programmes against HIV infection.