Sexual Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices of Female Undergraduate Students in Wuhan, China: The Only-

Objectives: This study explored sexual knowledge, attitudes and practices of female only-child undergraduates and made a comparison with students with siblings. Methods: Anonymously completed questionnaires were received from 4,769 female undergraduates, recruited using randomized cluster sampling by type of university and students ’ major and grade. Multivariate logistic regression was used to assess the effects of only-child on sexual knowledge, attitudes and practices among female undergraduates. Results: Of 4,769 female undergraduate students, 41.0 % were only-child and 59.0 % were students with siblings. Compared with students with siblings, only-child students scored higher on sex-related knowledge, were more inclined to agree with premarital sex, multiple sex partners, one-night stands, extramarital lovers and homosexuality, and were more likely to have a boyfriend and experience sexual intercourse (73.6 % vs. 61.4%; 24.0 % vs. 14.0%). Only-children were less likely to experience coercion at first sex and have first sexual intercourse with men not their ‘‘boyfriends’ ’ than children with siblings (3.3 % vs. 6.4%; 20.7 % vs. 28.8%). There were no significant differences on other risky sexual behaviors (e.g. multiple sex partners and inconsistent condom use) between the only-child students and students with siblings. Conclusions: Sexual knowledge, attitudes and some practices of only-child female undergraduates were different from students with siblings. Intervention should be designed according to different requirements of only-children and non-only