In the published article, there was an error. The proportion of participants who believed that HIV could be completely cured was reported as 32.9% in the text instead of the correct figure of 23.9%, which could be derived from Table 2. A correction has been made to [Results], [Knowledge of sexually transmitted infections]. This sentence previously stated:
“These include: the availability of HIV vaccination (standing at 42% incorrect response rate), the non-curability of HIV infections (32.9%), …”
The corrected sentence appears below:
“These include: the availability of HIV vaccination (standing at 42% incorrect response rate), the non-curability of HIV infections (23.9%), …”
In the published article, there was an error. The proportion of participants who believed that HIV is a non-curable infection was reported as 67.1% in the text instead of 76.1%, which could be derived from Table 2.
A correction has been made to the [Discussion], Paragraph 3. This sentence previously stated:
“As for other HIV items, only 58% of respondents correctly identified the unavailability of a vaccine, and 67.1% correctly identified HIV as a non-curable infection.”
The corrected sentence appears below:
“As for other HIV items, only 58% of respondents correctly identified the unavailability of a vaccine, and 76.1% correctly identified HIV as a non-curable infection.”
In the published article, there was an error in Table 2 as published. The “c” superscript denoting “No” as the correct answer was not placed for two items: “Showering before and after sex” and “contraceptive pill”. The corrected Table 2 and its caption appear below.
Table 2
| Category | Gender | Do you know someone who has been diagnosed with an STI? | Previous sexual experience | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Male 332 (%)a |
Female
491 (%)a |
p-valueb |
Yes
195 (%)a |
No 628 (%)a | p-valueb | Yes 226 (%)a |
No
597 (%)a |
p-valueb | |
| Diseases | |||||||||
| HIV | 326 (98.2) | 482 (98.2) | 0.978 | 189 (96.9) | 619 (98.6) | 0.134 | 220 (97.3) | 588 (98.5) | 0.272 |
| Syphilis | 124 (37.3) | 156 (31.8) | 0.098 | 89 (42.6) | 197 (31.4) | 0.004 | 91 (40.3) | 189 (31.7) | 0.020 |
| Gonorrhea | 224 (67.5) | 254 (51.7) | 7 * 10 −6 | 138 (70.8) | 340 (54.1) | 5 * 10 −5 | 160 (70.8) | 318 (53.3) | 5 * 10 −6 |
| Genital warts | 83 (25.0) | 144 (29.3) | 0.173 | 67 (34.3) | 160 (25.5) | 0.015 | 80 (35.4) | 147 (24.6) | 0.002 |
| Genital herpes | 154 (46.4) | 243 (49.5) | 0.382 | 106 (54.4) | 291 (46.3) | 0.050 | 110 (48.7) | 287 (48.1) | 0.878 |
| Chlamydia | 84 (25.3) | 117 (23.8) | 0.630 | 59 (30.3) | 142 (22.6) | 0.030 | 65 (28.8) | 136 (22.8) | 0.075 |
| Trichomoniasis | 65 (19.6) | 106 (21.6) | 0.486 | 51 (26.2) | 120 (19.1) | 0.034 | 52 (23.0) | 119 (19.9) | 0.332 |
| Molluscum | 97 (29.2) | 136 (27.7) | 0.635 | 77 (39.5) | 156 (24.8) | 1 * 10 −4 | 73 (32.3) | 160 (26.8) | 0.118 |
| Scabies and pediculosis | 144 (43.3) | 229 (46.6) | 0.356 | 108 (55.4) | 265 (42.2) | 0.001 | 101 (44.7) | 272 (45.6) | 0.823 |
| Hepatitis B and C | 160 (48.2) | 243 (49.5) | 0.715 | 108 (55.4) | 295 (47.0) | 0.040 | 108 (47.8) | 295 (49.4) | 0.677 |
| Symptoms | |||||||||
| Groin swelling | 168 (50.6) | 258 (52.5) | 0.584 | 119 (61.0) | 307 (48.9) | 0.003 | 127 (56.2) | 299 (50.1) | 0.117 |
| Genital ulcers | 247 (74.4) | 414 (84.3) | 6 * 10 −4 | 170 (87.2) | 491 (78.2) | 0.006 | 183 (81.0) | 478 (80.1) | 0.770 |
| Genital itching | 235 (70.8) | 366 (74.5) | 0.233 | 157 (80.5) | 444 (70.7) | 0.007 | 184 (81.4) | 417 (69.8) | 0.001 |
| Genital rash | 241 (72.6) | 369 (75.2) | 0.410 | 156 (80.0) | 454 (72.3) | 0.032 | 175 (77.4) | 435 (72.9) | 0.182 |
| Groin pain | 172 (51.8) | 290 (59.1) | 0.040 | 128 (65.6) | 334 (53.2) | 0.012 | 128 (56.6) | 334 (55.9) | 0.859 |
| Painful urination | 203 (61.1) | 282 (57.4) | 0.288 | 121 (62.1) | 364 (58.0) | 0.311 | 140 (61.9) | 345 (57.8) | 0.279 |
| Menstrual issues | 179 (53.9) | 257 (52.3) | 0.657 | 112 (57.4) | 324 (51.6) | 0.153 | 127 (56.2) | 309 (51.8) | 0.255 |
| Vaginal discharge | 214 (64.5) | 335 (68.2) | 0.260 | 142 (72.8) | 407 (64.8) | 0.038 | 159 (70.4) | 390 (65.3) | 0.172 |
| Urethral discharge | 195 (58.7) | 303 (61.7) | 0.392 | 133 (68.2) | 365 (58.1) | 0.002 | 140 (61.9) | 358 (60.0) | 0.604 |
| Body rash | 135 (40.7) | 202 (41.1) | 0.891 | 87 (44.6) | 250 (39.8) | 0.233 | 93 (41.2) | 244 (40.9) | 0.942 |
| Fever | 140 (42.2) | 217 (44.2) | 0.565 | 104 (53.3) | 253 (40.3) | 0.001 | 98 (43.4) | 259 (43.4) | 0.996 |
| Frequent diarrhea | 96 (28.9) | 127 (25.9) | 0.334 | 59 (30.3) | 164 (26.1) | 0.256 | 57 (25.2) | 166 (27.8) | 0.457 |
| Frequent coughing | 78 (23.5) | 92 (18.7) | 0.098 | 49 (25.1) | 121 (19.3) | 0.077 | 48 (21.2) | 122 (20.4) | 0.799 |
| Frequent sore throat | 66 (19.9) | 90 (18.3) | 0.564 | 42 (21.5) | 114 (18.2) | 0.296 | 44 (19.6) | 112 (18.8) | 0.795 |
| Weight loss | 122 (36.7) | 187 (38.1) | 0.697 | 80 (41.0) | 229 (36.5) | 0.251 | 78 (34.5) | 231 (38.7) | 0.269 |
| No symptoms | 275 (82.8) | 397 (80.9) | 0.472 | 167 (85.6) | 505 (80.4) | 0.099 | 187 (82.7) | 485 (81.2) | 0.619 |
| Transmission | |||||||||
| Sexual intercourse | 325 (97.9) | 485 (98.8) | 0.317 | 191 (97.9) | 619 (98.6) | 0.545 | 222 (98.2) | 588 (98.5) | 0.788 |
| Skin contact | 125 (37.7) | 198 (40.3) | 0.441 | 96 (49.2) | 227 (36.1) | 0.001 | 98 (43.4) | 225 (37.7) | 0.137 |
| Sharing objects | 192 (57.8) | 369 (75.2) | 1 * 10 −7 | 144 (73.8) | 417 (66.4) | 0.051 | 153 (67.7) | 408 (68.3) | 0.860 |
| Sharing foodc | 166 (50.0) | 196 (39.9) | 0.004 | 110 (56.4) | 252 (40.1) | 8 * 10 −5 | 103 (45.6) | 259 (43.4) | 0.572 |
| Swimming poolsc | 230 (69.3) | 415 (84.5) | 1 * 10 −7 | 163 (83.6) | 482 (76.8) | 0.043 | 180 (79.6) | 465 (77.9) | 0.585 |
| Blood and injections | 304 (91.6) | 430 (87.6) | 0.071 | 181 (92.8) | 553 (88.1) | 0.061 | 203 (89.8) | 531 (88.9) | 0.717 |
| Hairdressing | 243 (73.2) | 378 (77.0) | 0.215 | 164 (84.1) | 457 (72.8) | 0.001 | 177 (78.3) | 444 (74.4) | 0.240 |
| Pregnancy and childbirth | 184 (55.4) | 240 (48.9) | 0.065 | 118 (60.5) | 306 (48.7) | 0.004 | 131 (58.0) | 293 (49.1) | 0.023 |
| Breastfeeding | 174 (52.4) | 180 (36.7) | 7 * 10 −6 | 101 (51.8) | 253 (40.3) | 0.005 | 110 (48.7) | 244 (40.9) | 0.044 |
| Mosquito bitec | 203 (61.1) | 281 (57.2) | 0.263 | 130 (66.7) | 354 (56.4) | 0.011 | 143 (63.3) | 341 (57.1) | 0.109 |
| Risk factors | |||||||||
| Multiple partners | 324 (97.6) | 476 (96.9) | 0.582 | 190 (97.4) | 610 (97.1) | 0.823 | 220 (97.3) | 580 (97.2) | 0.881 |
| Unprotected sex | 300 (90.4) | 386 (78.6) | 9 * 10 −6 | 169 (86.7) | 517 (82.3) | 0.155 | 190 (84.1) | 496 (83.1) | 0.734 |
| Substance use | 222 (66.9) | 357 (72.7) | 0.072 | 145 (74.4) | 434 (69.1) | 0.161 | 148 (65.5) | 431 (72.2) | 0.060 |
| Prostitution | 311 (93.7) | 452 (92.1) | 0.381 | 184 (94.4) | 579 (92.2) | 0.310 | 213 (94.2) | 550 (92.1) | 0.296 |
| STI co-infection | 309 (93.1) | 452 (92.1) | 0.588 | 187 (95.9) | 574 (91.4) | 0.038 | 211 (93.4) | 550 (92.1) | 0.549 |
| Multiple marriages | 180 (54.2) | 396 (80.7) | 4 * 10 −16 | 148 (75.9) | 428 (68.2) | 0.039 | 155 (68.6) | 136 (22.8) | 0.589 |
| Prevention | |||||||||
| Abstinenced | 155 (46.7) | 230 (46.8) | 0.965 | 95 (48.7) | 290 (46.2) | 0.535 | 93 (41.2) | 292 (48.9) | 0.046 |
| Condoms | 287 (86.4) | 371 (75.6) | 1 * 10 −4 | 165 (84.6) | 493 (78.5) | 0.063 | 192 (85.0) | 466 (78.1) | 0.027 |
| Single partner | 268 (80.7) | 455 (92.7) | 2 * 10 −7 | 168 (86.2) | 555 (88.4) | 0.407 | 190 (84.1) | 533 (89.3) | 0.041 |
| Routine check-up | 307 (92.5) | 477 (97.1) | 0.002 | 187 (95.9) | 597 (95.1) | 0.632 | 212 (93.8) | 572 (95.8) | 0.226 |
| Vaccines (warts) | 278 (83.7) | 437 (89.0) | 0.028 | 169 (86.7) | 546 (86.9) | 0.921 | 197 (87.2) | 518 (86.8) | 0.879 |
| Vaccines (HIV)c | 120 (36.1) | 226 (46.0) | 0.005 | 95 (48.7) | 251 (40.0) | 0.031 | 98 (43.4) | 248 (41.5) | 0.637 |
| Showering before and after sexc | 301 (90.7) | 457 (93.1) | 0.208 | 181 (92.8) | 577 (91.9) | 0.670 | 208 (92.0) | 550 (92.1) | 0.965 |
| Contraceptive pillc | 130 (39.2) | 193 (39.3) | 0.965 | 90 (46.2) | 233 (37.1) | 0.024 | 88 (38.9) | 235 (39.4) | 0.911 |
| Circumcision | 238 (71.7) | 356 (72.5) | 0.797 | 140 (71.8) | 454 (72.3) | 0.892 | 164 (72.6) | 430 (72.0) | 0.877 |
| Outcome | |||||||||
| Resolution (HIV)c | 83 (25.0) | 114 (23.2) | 0.557 | 58 (29.7) | 139 (22.1) | 0.030 | 70 (31.0) | 127 (21.3) | 0.004 |
| Resolution (others)c | 214 (64.5) | 285 (58.0) | 0.065 | 127 (65.1) | 372 (59.2) | 0.141 | 139 (61.5) | 360 (60.3) | 0.753 |
| Infertility | 178 (53.6) | 262 (53.4) | 0.943 | 107 (54.9) | 333 (53.0) | 0.652 | 125 (55.3) | 315 (52.8) | 0.513 |
| Abortion | 198 (59.6) | 326 (66.4) | 0.048 | 133 (68.2) | 391 (62.3) | 0.132 | 143 (63.3) | 381 (63.8) | 0.885 |
| Premature birth | 149 (44.9) | 254 (51.7) | 0.054 | 99 (50.8) | 304 (48.4) | 0.564 | 126 (55.8) | 277 (46.4) | 0.017 |
| Birth defects | 201 (60.5) | 303 (61.7) | 0.736 | 123 (63.1) | 381 (60.7) | 0.547 | 143 (63.3) | 361 (60.5) | 0.461 |
| Kidney problems | 260 (78.3) | 361 (73.5) | 0.117 | 163 (83.6) | 458 (72.9) | 0.003 | 177 (78.3) | 444 (74.4) | 0.240 |
| Cancer | 193 (58.1) | 313 (63.7) | 0.104 | 127 (65.1) | 379 (60.4) | 0.231 | 140 (61.9) | 366 (61.3) | 0.866 |
| Death | 219 (66.0) | 318 (64.8) | 0.723 | 137 (70.3) | 400 (63.7) | 0.093 | 143 (63.3) | 394 (66.0) | 0.464 |
| Information source | |||||||||
| School | 170 (51.2) | 249 (50.7) | 0.890 | 95 (48.7) | 324 (51.6) | 0.483 | 111 (49.1) | 308 (51.6) | 0.526 |
| Healthcare providers | 148 (44.6) | 194 (39.5) | 0.148 | 99 (50.8) | 243 (38.7) | 0.003 | 104 (46.0) | 238 (39.9) | 0.110 |
| Parents | 93 (28.0) | 159 (32.4) | 0.182 | 75 (38.5) | 177 (28.2) | 0.007 | 69 (30.5) | 183 (30.7) | 0.973 |
| Friends | 216 (65.1) | 212 (43.2) | 7 * 10 −10 | 121 (62.1) | 307 (48.9) | 0.001 | 146 (64.6) | 282 (47.2) | 8 * 10 −6 |
| Books | 207 (62.3) | 279 (56.8) | 0.114 | 124 (63.6) | 362 (57.6) | 0.140 | 154 (68.1) | 332 (55.6) | 0.001 |
| TV | 188 (56.6) | 270 (55.0) | 0.643 | 111 (56.9) | 347 (55.3) | 0.682 | 134 (59.3) | 324 (54.3) | 0.196 |
| The Internet | 313 (94.6) | 451 (91.9) | 0.137 | 183 (93.8) | 581 (92.7) | 0.573 | 211 (93.8) | 553 (92.6) | 0.567 |
Knowledge about sexually transmitted infections among non-medical undergraduates in Baghdad, Iraq.
aCounts and column percent are described as individuals who have answered “Yes” during data collection.
bChi-square for association with a cutoff point of 0.05 for p-value and significant results indicated with a bold text.
cFor these questions, “No” was the correct answer.
dDuring data collection, abstinence was described as restraining from sexual experience before marriage.
In the published article, there was missing information. Effect size indices were not reported for Tables B1, C2, D1. This information is now included in Supplementary Table 1. For cases where equality of variance could be assumed, based on Levene's test, the Cohen's D index is reported. Alternatively, the mean difference was scaled by the square root of the average variance (instead of the pooled variance) as a more accurate indicator of the effect size (1). For both indices, a value of ≥0.2 signifies a small effect, ≥0.5 signifies a moderate effect, and ≥0.8 for a large effect.
Supplementary Table 1
| Scale | Categorical variable | Groups | Mean (SD) | Mean difference | Levene's Test | T-test | Effect size |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Knowledge score | Gender | Male | 34.82 (±6.8) | 0.450 | F = 1.359 | t = −0.952a | −0.068c |
| Female | 35.27 (±6.5) | p = 0.244 | p = 0.341 | ||||
| Do you know someone with an STD? | Yes | 37.17 (±6.7) | 2.730 | F = 0.121 | t = 5.076a | 0.416c | |
| No | 34.44 (±6.4) | p = 0.728 | p = 4.8*10−7 | ||||
| Previous sexual experience | Yes | 35.77 (±7.0) | 0.935 | F = 2.317 | t = 1.802a | 0.141c | |
| No | 34.83 (±6.4) | p = 0.128 | p = 0.072 | ||||
| Sex education should be taught in school | Yes | 35.42 (±6.6) | 2.307 | F = 0.249 | t = 3.519a | 0.349c | |
| No | 33.11 (±6.6) | p = 0.618 | p = 4.5*10−4 | ||||
| Age (Years) | Previous sexual experience | Yes | 23.74 (±4.7) | 2.050 | F = 34.015 | t = 6.033b | 0.525d |
| No | 21.69 (±2.9) | p = 7.9*10−9 | p = 4.8*10−9 |
Effect size indices for independent samples T-test (N = 823).
aStudent's independent samples T-test was used to test for association with 0.05 as a cut-off point for statistical significance.
bWelch's independent samples T-test was used to test for association with 0.05 as a cut-off point for statistical significance.
cCohen's D was used to assess effect size with ≥0.2 for small, ≥0.5 for moderate, and ≥0.8 for large effect sizes.
dThe mean difference scaled by the square root of the average variance was used to assess effect size with ≥0.2 for small, ≥0.5 for moderate, and ≥0.8 for large effect sizes.
In the published article, in Tables 2–4, a large number of hypothesis testing was performed simultaneously to test the association between each item and the three independent variables (gender, knowing someone who has been diagnosed with a sexually transmitted infection, and previous sexual experience). To further strengthen statistical reporting, the Benjamin-Hochberg procedure could be utilized to adjust p-values for multiple testing and reduce the false discovery rate to 5% within each family of hypothesis tests (within each independent variable) (2). This information is now provided in Supplementary Tables 2–4, which also include the odds ratio as an index of effect size to improve the interpretability of the statistically significant associations.
Supplementary Table 2
| Category | Gender | Do you know someone who has been diagnosed with an STI? | Previous sexual experience | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Odds ratio (95% CI) | Adjusted p-valuea, b | Odds ratio (95% CI) | Adjusted p-valuea, b | Odds ratio (95% CI) | Adjusted p-valuea, b | |
| Diseases | ||||||
| HIV | 1.01 (0.36–2.88) | 0.978 | 0.46 (0.16–1.30) | 0.268 | 0.56 (0.20–1.60) | 0.698 |
| Syphilis | 1.28 (0.96–1.72) | 0.267 | 1.62 (1.17–2.26) | 0.026 | 1.46 (1.06–2.00) | 0.180e |
| Gonorrhea | 1.94 (1.45–2.59) | 7.9 * 10 −5 | 2.05 (1.45–2.90) | 0.004 | 2.13 (1.53–2.95) | 3.6 * 10 −4 |
| Genital warts | 0.80 (0.59–1.10) | 0.380 | 1.53 (1.08–2.16) | 0.064e | 1.68 (1.21–2.33) | 0.030 |
| Genital herpes | 0.88 (0.67–1.17) | 0.608 | 1.38 (1.00–1.90) | 0.131 | 1.02 (0.75–1.39) | 0.971 |
| Chlamydia | 1.08 (0.78–1.50) | 0.769 | 1.48 (1.04–2.12) | 0.107e | 1.37 (0.97–1.93) | 0.355 |
| Trichomoniasis | 0.88 (0.63–1.25) | 0.673 | 1.50 (1.03–2.18) | 0.109e | 1.20 (0.83–1.74) | 0.747 |
| Molluscum | 1.08 (0.79–1.47) | 0.769 | 1.97 (1.41–2.77) | 0.011 | 1.30 (0.94–1.82) | 0.462 |
| Scabies and pediculosis | 0.88 (0.66–1.16) | 0.593 | 1.70 (1.23–2.35) | 0.011 | 0.97 (0.71–1.31) | 0.971 |
| Hepatitis B and C | 0.95 (0.72–1.25) | 0.798 | 1.40 (1.01–1.94) | 0.113e | 0.94 (0.69–1.27) | 0.971 |
| Symptoms | ||||||
| Groin swelling | 0.93 (0.70–1.22) | 0.745 | 1.64 (1.18–2.27) | 0.023 | 1.28 (0.94–1.74) | 0.462 |
| Genital ulcers | 0.54 (0.38–0.76) | 0.004 | 1.90 (1.20–3.01) | 0.034 | 1.06 (0.72–1.56) | 0.971 |
| Genital itching | 0.83 (0.61–1.13) | 0.450 | 1.71 (1.15–2.54) | 0.035 | 1.89 (1.30–2.76) | 0.018 |
| Genital rash | 0.88 (0.64–1.20) | 0.620 | 1.53 (1.04–2.27) | 0.107e | 1.28 (0.89–1.83) | 0.585 |
| Groin pain | 0.75 (0.56–0.99) | 0.157e | 1.68 (1.20–2.35) | 0.054e | 1.03 (0.76–1.40) | 0.971 |
| Painful urination | 1.17 (0.88–1.55) | 0.518 | 1.19 (0.85–1.65) | 0.467 | 1.19 (0.87–1.63) | 0.698 |
| Menstrual issues | 1.07 (0.81–1.41) | 0.769 | 1.27 (0.92–1.75) | 0.285 | 1.20 (0.88–1.63) | 0.695 |
| Vaginal discharge | 0.85 (0.63–1.13) | 0.483 | 1.45 (1.02–2.08) | 0.113e | 1.26 (0.90–1.75) | 0.573 |
| Urethral discharge | 0.88 (0.67–1.17) | 0.608 | 1.55 (1.10–2.17) | 0.020 | 1.09 (0.79–1.49) | 0.954 |
| Body rash | 0.98 (0.74–1.30) | 0.932 | 1.22 (0.88–1.68) | 0.396 | 1.01 (0.74–1.38) | 0.986 |
| Fever | 0.92 (0.70–1.22) | 0.745 | 1.69 (1.23–2.34) | 0.011 | 1.00 (0.73–1.36) | 0.996 |
| Frequent diarrhea | 1.17 (0.85–1.59) | 0.567 | 1.23 (0.86–1.75) | 0.419 | 0.88 (0.62–1.24) | 0.908 |
| Frequent coughing | 1.33 (0.95–1.87) | 0.267 | 1.41 (0.96–2.06) | 0.182 | 1.05 (0.72–1.53) | 0.971 |
| Frequent Sore throat | 1.13 (0.79–1.60) | 0.745 | 1.22 (0.82–1.82) | 0.459 | 1.08 (0.73–1.58) | 0.971 |
| Weight loss | 0.94 (0.71–1.26) | 0.794 | 1.21 (0.87–1.68) | 0.418 | 0.84 (0.61–1.15) | 0.698 |
| No symptoms | 1.14 (0.79–1.64) | 0.664 | 1.45 (0.93–2.27) | 0.217 | 1.11 (0.74–1.65) | 0.961 |
| Transmission | ||||||
| Sexual intercourse | 0.57 (0.19–1.72) | 0.549 | 0.69 (0.21–0.28) | 0.724 | 0.85 (0.26–2.79) | 0.971 |
| Skin contact | 0.89 (0.67–1.19) | 0.640 | 1.71 (1.24–2.37) | 0.011 | 1.27 (0.93–1.73) | 0.500 |
| Sharing objects | 0.45 (0.34–0.61) | 1.8 * 10 −6 | 1.43 (1.00–2.05) | 0.131 | 0.97 (0.70–1.35) | 0.971 |
| Sharing foodc | 0.66 (0.50–0.88) | 0.020 | 0.52 (0.37–0.72) | 0.004 | 0.92 (0.67–1.24) | 0.947 |
| Swimming poolsc | 2.42 (1.73–3.40) | 1.8 * 10 −6 | 0.65 (0.43–0.99) | 0.117e | 0.90 (0.62–1.31) | 0.947 |
| Blood and injections | 1.54 (0.96–2.47) | 0.216 | 1.75 (0.97–3.18) | 0.153 | 1.10 (0.66–1.81) | 0.971 |
| Hairdressing | 0.82 (0.59–1.13) | 0.430 | 1.98 (1.30–3.02) | 0.011 | 1.24 (0.86–1.79) | 0.675 |
| Pregnancy and childbirth | 1.30 (0.98–1.72) | 0.209 | 1.61 (1.16–2.24) | 0.026 | 1.43 (1.05–1.95) | 0.180e |
| Breastfeeding | 1.90 (1.43–2.53) | 7.9 * 10 −5 | 1.59 (1.15–2.20) | 0.030 | 1.37 (1.01–1.87) | 0.259e |
| Mosquito bitec | 0.85 (0.64–1.13) | 0.483 | 0.65 (0.46–0.91) | 0.052e | 0.77 (0.56–1.06) | 0.462 |
| Risk factors | ||||||
| Multiple partners | 1.28 (0.56–3.05) | 0.745 | 1.12 (0.41–3.06) | 0.892 | 1.07 (0.42–2.76) | 0.971 |
| Unprotected sex | 2.55 (1.67–3.90) | 9 * 10 −5 | 1.40 (0.88–2.21) | 0.285 | 1.07 (0.71–1.63) | 0.971 |
| Substance use | 0.76 (0.56–1.03) | 0.216 | 1.30 (0.90–1.86) | 0.290 | 0.73 (0.53–1.01) | 0.300 |
| Prostitution | 1.28 (0.74–2.21) | 0.608 | 1.42 (0.72–2.78) | 0.467 | 1.40 (0.74–2.64) | 0.720 |
| STI co-infection | 1.16 (0.68–1.98) | 0.745 | 2.20 (1.03–4.71) | 0.113e | 1.20 (0.66–2.20) | 0.947 |
| Multiple marriages | 0.28 (0.21–0.39) | 3.6 * 10 −14 | 1.47 (1.02–2.13) | 0.113e | 0.91 (0.66–1.27) | 0.947 |
| Prevention | ||||||
| Abstinenced | 0.99 (0.75–1.31) | 0.976 | 1.11 (0.80–1.53) | 0.724 | 0.73 (0.54–1.00) | 0.259e |
| Condoms | 2.06 (1.42–3.00) | 0.001 | 1.51 (0.98–2.32) | 0.153 | 1.59 (1.05–2.40) | 0.187e |
| Single partner | 0.33 (0.21–0.51) | 3 * 10 −6 | 0.82 (0.51–1.31) | 0.591 | 0.63 (0.41–0.99) | 0.259e |
| Routine check-up | 0.36 (0.18–0.70) | 0.011 | 1.21 (0.55–2.69) | 0.768 | 0.66 (0.34–1.30) | 0.675 |
| Vaccines (warts) | 0.64 (0.42–0.96) | 0.115e | 0.98 (0.61–1.57) | 0.953 | 1.04 (0.66–1.63) | 0.971 |
| Vaccines (HIV)c | 1.51 (1.13–2.00) | 0.024 | 0.70 (0.51–0.97) | 0.107e | 0.93 (0.68–1.26) | 0.971 |
| Showering before and after sexc | 1.38 (0.83–2.30) | 0.425 | 0.88 (0.47–1.62) | 0.783 | 1.01 (0.58–1.78) | 0.995 |
| Contraceptive pill | 1.01 (0.76–1.34) | 0.976 | 0.69 (0.50–0.95) | 0.098e | 1.02 (0.74–1.39) | 0.975 |
| Circumcision | 0.96 (0.70–1.31) | 0.854 | 0.98 (0.68–1.39) | 0.933 | 1.03 (0.73–1.45) | 0.971 |
| Outcome | ||||||
| Resolution (HIV)c | 0.91 (0.66–1.26) | 0.745 | 0.67 (0.47–0.96) | 0.107e | 0.60 (0.43– 0.85) | 0.051e |
| Resolution (others)c | 0.76 (0.57–1.02) | 0.209 | 0.78 (0.56–1.09) | 0.270 | 0.95 (0.69–1.30) | 0.971 |
| Infertility | 1.01 (0.76–1.34) | 0.976 | 1.08 (0.78–1.49) | 0.772 | 1.11 (0.82–1.51) | 0.947 |
| Abortion | 0.75 (0.56–1.00) | 0.173e | 1.30 (0.92–1.83) | 0.268 | 0.98 (0.71–1.34) | 0.971 |
| Premature birth | 0.76 (0.57–1.00) | 0.187 | 1.10 (0.80–1.52) | 0.736 | 1.46 (1.07–1.98) | 0.170e |
| Birth defects | 0.95 (0.72–1.27) | 0.798 | 1.11 (0.80–1.54) | 0.724 | 1.13 (0.82–1.55) | 0.908 |
| Kidney problems | 1.30 (0.94–1.81) | 0.293 | 1.89 (1.24–2.87) | 0.023 | 1.24 (0.86–1.79) | 0.675 |
| Cancer | 0.79 (0.59–1.00) | 0.275 | 1.23 (0.88–1.72) | 0.396 | 1.03 (0.75–1.41) | 0.971 |
| Death | 1.05 (0.79–1.41) | 0.798 | 1.35 (0.95–1.91) | 0.212 | 0.89 (0.65–1.22) | 0.908 |
| Information source | ||||||
| School | 1.02 (0.77–1.35) | 0.932 | 0.89 (0.65–1.23) | 0.669 | 0.91 (0.67–1.23) | 0.947 |
| Healthcare providers | 1.23 (0.93–1.63) | 0.351 | 1.63 (1.18–2.26) | 0.023 | 1.29 (0.94–1.75) | 0.462 |
| Parents | 0.81 (0.60–1.10) | 0.383 | 1.59 (1.14–2.23) | 0.035 | 0.99 (0.71–1.39) | 0.995 |
| Friends | 2.45 (1.84–3.27) | 2.1 * 10 −8 | 1.71 (1.23–2.38) | 0.011 | 2.04 (1.49–2.80) | 3.6 * 10 −4 |
| Books | 1.26 (0.95–1.67) | 0.293 | 1.28 (0.92–1.79) | 0.270 | 1.71 (1.24–2.36) | 0.018 |
| TV | 1.07 (0.81–1.41) | 0.769 | 1.07 (0.77–1.48) | 0.787 | 1.23 (0.90–1.67) | 0.608 |
| The Internet | 1.54 (0.87–2.74) | 0.333 | 1.21 (0.63–2.33) | 0.736 | 1.20 (0.64–2.23) | 0.947 |
Odds ratios and adjusted p-values for the knowledge about sexually transmitted infections among non-medical undergraduates in Baghdad, Iraq.
aChi-square test was utilized to test for association with a 0.05 cut-off point for statistical significance.
bBenjamin-Hochberg procedure was utilized to adjust for multiple tested and reduce the false discovery rate to 5% within each family of hypothesis testing (within each individual independent variable).
c For these questions, “No” was the correct answer.
d During data collection, abstinence was described as restraining from sexual experience before marriage.
e These items showed statistically significant associations before adjusting for multiple testing.
Supplementary Table 3
| Categories | Gender | Do you know someone who has been diagnosed with an STI? | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Odds ratio (95% CI) | Adjusted p-valuea, b | Odds ratio (95% CI) | Adjusted p-valuea, b | |
| Sexually transmitted infections | ||||
| Can be effectively prevented | 0.85 (0.43–1.70) | 0.769 | 1.01 (0.45–2.27) | 0.982 |
| Public health campaigns | ||||
| Have made you reconsider sex | 0.86 (0.60–1.24) | 0.620 | 1.27 (0.82–1.98) | 0.459 |
| More campaigns are needed | 0.88 (0.42–1.84) | 0.798 | 1.25 (0.50–3.11) | 0.768 |
| Sex education | ||||
| Should be taught in middle/high school | 0.85 (0.58–1.26) | 0.620 | 1.44 (0.88–2.35) | 0.459 |
| Should be a part of science class | 0.62 (0.42–0.90) | 0.058c | 0.93 (0.60–1.45) | 0.768 |
| Condoms | ||||
| Can cause infertility | 0.70 (0.50–0.99) | 0.161c | 1.19 (0.82–1.74) | 0.531 |
| Can increase participation in casual sex | 0.63 (0.47–0.83) | 0.006 | 0.78 (0.56–1.08) | 0.268 |
| Can decrease sexual pleasure | 3.14 (2.22–4.45) | 1.4 * 10 −9 | 1.37 (0.95–1.99) | 0.212 |
| Can lead to partner mistrust | 1.58 (1.19–2.11) | 0.011 | 1.07 (0.77–1.48) | 0.787 |
| Are not effective when used as the only infection prevention method | 0.52 (0.39–0.70) | 9 * 10 −5 | 0.92 (0.66–1.29) | 0.768 |
| Individuals with STIs | ||||
| Should be socially isolated | 1.23 (0.92–1.64) | 0.358 | 1.05 (0.76–1.46) | 0.844 |
| Should suffer from violence | 1.56 (1.17–2.07) | 0.383 | 1.14 (0.83–1.58) | 0.933 |
| Should have fewer jobs | 1.22 (0.91–1.65) | 0.011 | 0.97 (0.69–1.38) | 0.596 |
| Should be stigmatized by doctors | 1.29 (0.97–1.70) | 0.221 | 1.05 (0.76–1.45) | 0.844 |
| Categories | Previous sexual experience | |||
| Odds ratio (95% CI) | Adjusted p-value a, b | |||
| Sexually transmitted infections | ||||
| Can be effectively prevented | 1.48 (0.64–3.45) | 0.788 | ||
| Public health campaigns | ||||
| Have made you reconsider sex | 0.97 (0.65–1.45) | 0.971 | ||
| More campaigns are needed | 1.04 (0.46–2.38) | 0.975 | ||
| Sex education | ||||
| Should be taught in middle/high school | 1.14 (0.73–1.79) | 0.947 | ||
| Should be a part of science class | 0.97 (0.63–1.48) | 0.971 | ||
| Condoms | ||||
| Can cause infertility | 0.83 (0.57–1.21) | 0.747 | ||
| Can increase participation in casual sex | 0.54 (0.40–0.74) | 0.002 | ||
| Can decrease sexual pleasure | 1.50 (1.05–2.15) | 0.180c | ||
| Can lead to partner mistrust | 0.74 (0.54–1.00) | 0.270 | ||
| Are not effective when used as the only infection prevention method | 0.79 (0.57–1.08) | 0.500 | ||
| Individuals with STIs | ||||
| Should be socially isolated | 1.00 (0.73–1.37) | 0.996 | ||
| Should suffer from violence | 0.89 (0.65–1.21) | 0.975 | ||
| Should have fewer jobs | 0.98 (0.71–1.36) | 0.908 | ||
| Should be stigmatized by doctors | 0.93 (0.69–1.27) | 0.971 | ||
Odds ratios and adjusted p-values for attitudes toward sexually transmitted infections, their prevention, and infected individuals among non-medical undergraduates in Baghdad, Iraq.
aChi-square test was utilized to test for association with a 0.05 cut-off point for statistical significance.
bBenjamin-Hochberg procedure was utilized to adjust for multiple tested and reduce the false discovery rate to 5% within each family of hypothesis testing (within each individual independent variable).
cThese items showed statistically significant associations before adjusting for multiple testing.
Supplementary Table 4
| Categories | Gender | Do you know someone who has been diagnosed with an STI? | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Odds ratio (95% CI) | Adjusted p-valuea, b | Odds ratio (95% CI) | Adjusted p-valuea, b | |
| Suspicion of having an STI due to symptoms or after high-risk behavior | ||||
| Ask your parent | 0.94 (0.71–1.25) | 0.775 | 0.99 (0.71–1.37) | 0.957 |
| Ask a friend | 1.72 (1.29–2.29) | 0.001 | 1.10 (0.79–1.53) | 0.736 |
| Seek medical advice | 1.98 (1.08–3.63) | 0.107d | 0.95 (0.51–1.78) | 0.933 |
| Search the internet | 0.79 (0.50–1.24) | 0.533 | 1.01 (0.59–1.74) | 0.969 |
| Ignore this suspicion if no symptoms | 1.20 (0.89–1.62) | 0.450 | 0.95 (0.67–1.35) | 0.844 |
| Diagnosis with an STI | ||||
| Follow the doctor's advice | 0.84 (0.39–1.82) | 0.769 | 0.73 (0.31–1.69) | 0.648 |
| Self-medicate with OTC drugsc | 0.87 (0.60–1.26) | 0.664 | 1.57 (1.05–2.32) | 0.102d |
| Seek herbal and traditional medicine | 1.25 (0.92–1.69) | 0.358 | 1.24 (0.87–1.75) | 0.396 |
| Ignore the diagnosis if mild | 0.84 (0.57–1.24) | 0.608 | 1.41 (0.93–2.14) | 0.227 |
| Categories | Previous sexual experience | |||
| Odds ratio (95% CI) | Adjusted p-value a, b | |||
| Suspicion of having an STI due to symptoms or after high-risk behavior | ||||
| Ask your parent | 0.63 (0.45–0.87) | 0.056d | ||
| Ask a friend | 1.25 (0.92–1.71) | 0.554 | ||
| Seek medical advice | 1.30 (0.69–2.47) | 0.889 | ||
| Search the internet | 0.95 (0.57–1.58) | 0.971 | ||
| Ignore this suspicion if no symptoms | 0.91 (0.65–1.27) | 0.947 | ||
| Diagnosis with an STI | ||||
| Follow the doctor's advice | 0.75 (0.33–1.69) | 0.933 | ||
| Self-medicate with OTC drugsc | 1.22 (0.83–1.80) | 0.747 | ||
| Seek herbal and traditional medicine | 0.96 (0.68–1.35) | 0.971 | ||
| Ignore the diagnosis if mild | 0.97 (0.64–1.48) | 0.971 | ||
Odds ratios and adjusted p-values for practices upon suspicion or diagnosis with a sexually transmitted infection among non-medical undergraduates in Baghdad, Iraq.
aChi-square test was utilized to test for association with a 0.05 cut-off point for statistical significance.
bBenjamin-Hochberg procedure was utilized to adjust for multiple tested and reduce the false discovery rate to 5% within each family of hypothesis testing (within each individual independent variable).
cOTC, over the counter.
d These items showed statistically significant associations before adjusting for multiple testing.
These supplementary analyses may not change the scientific conclusions of the study. However, they identify areas where more caution should be employed when discussing certain significant associations. Namely, the higher knowledge of the genital warts' vaccine and the lower institutional stigma among female students, as well as the higher tendency for self-medication with over-the-counter drugs among those who knew someone with a sexually transmitted infection. Future studies should place higher emphasis on investigating these associations in depth, as they cannot be established with certainty based on these adjustments.
The authors apologize for this error and state that this does not change the scientific conclusions of the article in any way. The original article has been updated.
Statements
Publisher’s note
All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article, or claim that may be made by its manufacturer, is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.
References
1.
Aoki S . Effect sizes of the differences between means without assuming variance equality and between a mean and a constant. Heliyon. (2020) 6:e03306. 10.1016/j.heliyon.2020.e03306
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Benjamini Y Hochberg Y . Controlling the false discovery rate: a practical and powerful approach to multiple testing. J R Stat Soc Series B Stat Methodol. (1995) 57:289–300. 10.1111/j.2517-6161.1995.tb02031.x
Summary
Keywords
sexually transmitted infections, sex education, Middle East, Iraq, Baghdad
Citation
Al-Gburi G, Al-Shakarchi A, Al-Dabagh JD and Lami F (2025) Corrigendum: Assessing knowledge, attitudes, and practices toward sexually transmitted infections among Baghdad undergraduate students for research-guided sexual health education. Front. Public Health 13:1617766. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2025.1617766
Received
24 April 2025
Accepted
23 May 2025
Published
24 June 2025
Volume
13 - 2025
Edited and reviewed by
Christiane Stock, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Germany
Updates
Copyright
© 2025 Al-Gburi, Al-Shakarchi, Al-Dabagh and Lami.
This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
*Correspondence: Ghaith Al-Gburi Ghaith.Ali.Khaleel@gmail.com
†These authors share first authorship
Disclaimer
All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.