Abstract
Sexual health information practices are increasingly framed as individual responsibilities, yet they are enacted within unequal informational and institutional ecologies. Interpreting the findings through a sexual citizenship lens, this study examines where young adults in Italy obtain information about sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and human papillomavirus (HPV), and how information-source profiles are associated with STI/HPV knowledge and prevention-related measures. We analyse a 2024 quota-based online survey of Italian residents aged 16–30 (N = 3105; post-stratification weighted), using latent class analysis of STI-related information sources and weighted multinomial logistic regression. Four profiles emerge: a Legacy-media profile, a Social media–centric profile, an Expert/institutional profile, and an Interpersonal/family profile. Profile membership is most consistently associated with gender, age, exposure to school-based STI/sexual health sessions, STI/HPV knowledge, condom-use frequency, and HPV-vaccination attitudes and uptake. Citizenship, religiosity, household income/resources, and municipality size do not robustly differentiate profiles in the adjusted model. Findings reframe STI/HPV information practices as relational and institutionally scaffolded, rather than as purely individual choices. Policy and practice implications include coordinated multi-channel communication and minimum provision standards for sexuality education, youth-friendly counselling, STI testing, and HPV-vaccination pathways.
