Introduction:

sexual risk behaviors compromise sexual and reproductive health, in addition to psychological and social development, and are more frequent in adolescents and young people.

Objective:

to characterize sexual risk behaviors in females at the University Residence of Medical Sciences.

Methods:

a descriptive research was carried out from February to June 2022. Population: 102 first-year female medical students of the University Student Residence. Sample: 60 students selected in a non-probabilistic way, intentionally by criteria. The instruments used were a questionnaire (demographic data and sexual characteristics) and a group interview and an in-depth interview (sexual risk behaviors).

Results:

the average age was 18 years (46, 76.7%) and the urban area was the most frequent place of origin (81.8%). Students with heterosexual sexual orientation stood out (85.0%), with a higher frequency of urban residence (90.9%) than rural (81.6%). The age of initiation of sexual relations predominated between 14 and 16 years of age (63.3%), with higher frequencies in rural residential areas (57.2%). Risky sexual behaviors in 76 females: sexual contact without oral-genital protection, early sexual debut, continuous experience of changing partners, unplanned sexual relations under the influence of alcohol and unplanned pregnancies, and three also practiced transactional sex. It is noteworthy that only 26 females showed responsible sexual behaviors.

Conclusions:

the group under study was characterized by risky sexual behaviors. All this calls for prompt action by health personnel to provide the necessary tools to deal with this situation.

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