Research Article

Will an Unsupervised Self-Testing Strategy Be Feasible to Operationalize in Canada? Results from a Pilot Study in Students of a Large Canadian University

Table 1

Demographic characteristics and STI risk level of study population ( ).

CategoryPercentage % ( )

Gender
 Male38.9% (56)
 Female61.1% (88)
Education
 CEGEP/college20.6% (30)
 Undergraduate degree45.5% (66)
 Graduate degree 20.0% (29)
 Medical degree0.7% (1)
 Vocational or Trade School13.1% (19)
Residence
 Montreal49.7% (72)
 Quebec but not Montreal3.4% (5)
 Other Canadian province18.6% (27)
 United States of America13.8% (20)
 Other country14.5% (21)
Marital status
 Married2.7% (4)
 Notmarried97.2% (141)
No. of sexual partners in the last six months
 None12.6% (18)
 137.8% (54)
 2–539.2% (56)
 More than 510.5% (15)
Sexual behavior
 Never had a casual partner20.0% (29)
 Protected sex with casual partner
 at some point in life
66.2% (96)
 Unprotected sex with a casual partner
 at some point in life
47.6% (69)
 Protected sex with a casual partner
 in the last 6 months
46.2% (67)
 Unprotected sex with a casual partner
 in the last 6 months
24.8% (36)
 Unprotected sex with a casual partner in the last
  6 months under the influence of alcohol
18.6% (27)
 Unprotected sex with a casual partner in the last
  6 months under the influence of drugs
7.6% (11)
Condom use
 Every single time27.0% (39)
 Almost every time25.7% (37)
 Sometimes11.1% (16)
 Rarely6.9% (10)
 Never17.4% (25)
 No sexual partner in the last six months11.8% (17)
Persons reporting injection drug use
 Yes0.7% (1)
 No97.9% (141)
 Do not know1.4% (2)
Sex toys use
 Yes7.6% (11)
 No91.7% (132)
 Other0.7% (1)
Blood transfusion
 Yes2.1% (3)
 No97.9% (141)
STI history
 Never had an STI80.7% (117)
 Currently have an STI2.8% (4)
 STI in the last six months4.8% (7)
 STI in past but not in the last six months8.3% (12)
 Other2.1% (3)
HIV testing history
 Less than six months ago21.5% (31)
 Six months to one year ago17.4% (25)
 One to two years ago18.0% (26)
 More than two years ago9.0% (13)
 Never33.3% (48)
Reason for not having tested for HIV in past
 Previously tested, does not apply63.5% (92)
 Do not think of being at risk28.9% (42)
 Do not want to have it on medical records0.7% (1)
 Other9.0% (13)