A Peer-Supported Learning Model Led by Medical Students to Enhance University Students’ Knowledge and Awareness of Sexually Transmitted Infections

Abstract Aim: Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) remain a major public health concern among adolescents and young adults. Persistent knowledge gaps and misconceptions among university students highlight the need for feasible, learner-centered educational approaches. This study evaluated the effectiveness of a medical student–led, peer-supported STI education session on university students’ STI knowledge. Materials and Methods: A quasi-experimental pretest–posttest study was conducted within a Special Study Module at Faculty of Medicine. The intervention consisted of a single, in-person, interactive session delivered by trained medical students under faculty supervision. STI knowledge was assessed immediately before and after the session using a validated 25-item instrument. Pretest–posttest matching was performed via anonymous self-generated codes. Total score changes were analyzed using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test, and item-level changes in correct responses were examined with exact McNemar tests. Results: Twenty-nine participants with matched pretest and posttest data were included. Mean knowledge scores increased from 10.24 ± 5.17 to 17.79 ± 4.27 after the intervention (Z = −4.319, p 0.001). Item-level analyses demonstrated significant improvements in key domains, including HIV–STI co-risk, hepatitis B transmission risk, HPV-related cancer risk, treatment availability for gonorrhea and chlamydia, and correction of common misconceptions (exact McNemar p-values 0.05 for multiple items). Conclusion: A single-session, medical student–led peer-supported educational intervention was associated with a substantial improvement in university students’ STI knowledge. This pragmatic model may represent a scalable approach for strengthening sexual health literacy in university settings.