University-based behavioral interventions to promote safer sex practices: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Objective This study aims to critically review the characteristics and effectiveness of university-based intervention to promote safer sex practice. Participants and Methods The published studies were selected from 5 databases with the publication year restricted between 1974 and 2018. The data were then pooled using a random-effect meta-analysis. Results A total of 41 studies with 10,144 participants were included from 5,253 potentially relevant citations. Compared with minimal intervention, those people who participated in the intervention reported a statistically significant increase in the frequency of condom use (SMD 0.61; 95%CI 0.46-0.77, I-2 = 9%). There was an insignificant change after the intervention (SMD 0.34; 95%CI -0.04-0.72, I-2 = 72%) in communication with sexual partners and the heterogeneity existed in diversity of sessions of the intervention. Conclusion Behavioral interventions can significantly increase in the frequency of condom use but not in communication with sexual partners. A standardized measurement is a necessary consideration for future studies.

Automated summary

This study critically reviews university-based interventions and finds that behavioral interventions can significantly increase condom use frequency among college students, but do not have a significant impact on communication with sexual partners.