BackgroundIn Sweden, during the school years of 2021/22, 11,900 women and 8,100 men chose to spend a semester abroad; however, there has been little research on how they experience their time abroad and what difficulties they might face. Some studies have shown that Swedish exchange students consume alcohol to a higher degree and indulge in risky sexually behaviour while on exchange studies. Therefore, our aim was to explore Swedish exchange students' experiences from a semester abroad.MethodsA qualitative design with semi-structured interviews. Eleven students who had spent parts of their education abroad participated in the study. A qualitative content analysis was used to analyse the data.ResultsThe exchange students experienced stress due to a high workload and found that cultural differences could be both frustrating and fascinating. Some exchange students experienced minor illnesses and homesickness. The exchange students expressed a responsible view on sex and emphasized using protection against STIs while engaging in casual sex. Some enjoyed drinking alcohol to varying degrees and meeting new friends while abroad. However, they rarely engaged in excessive drinking; instead, they adopted a more spontaneous and social drinking pattern. Some experienced violence, such as robbery and harassment, and most took several safety measures, including being extra careful to lock their doors, not going out alone, and using public transport instead of taxis.ConclusionSwedish exchange students described stress and casual alcohol consumption as common experiences. They emphasized the importance of STI protection as well as safety measures to avoid exposure to violence. Reports of alcohol consumption, casual sex, violence, minor illnesses, and homesickness highlight the challenges faced during exchange studies. These findings indicate potential risks associated with being an exchange student.

AimOur aim was to investigate potential differences in mental health, self-rated health, risky sexual behaviour, alcohol use, and drug use between (1) Prospective exchange students and campus students separated by sex, and (2) male and female students as a group. MethodComparative cross-sectional design using an online survey containing the following instruments: Knowledge, Attitudes, and Sexual Behaviour in Young People in Sweden; Self-Rated Health Questionnaire; and General Health Questionnaire 12. One-hundred and fourteen prospective exchange students and 451 campus students participated in the study. ResultsMale prospective exchange students rated their mental health as being better and had used cannabis more often compared with female prospective exchange students. Male prospective exchange students also rated their mental health as being better than male campus students. Female students, in general, rated their mental health as worse than male students. A larger proportion of male prospective exchange students had sex together with alcohol compared with male campus students, and a larger proportion of female prospective exchange students had sex with a new partner and drank more alcohol compared to female campus students. ConclusionThe result shows that risky alcohol use and sexually risky behaviour is prominent amongst prospective exchange students. It is possible that they will continue, and even increase their risky behaviour whilst abroad as they find themselves in a new social context, and free from influence of the rules and restrictions that they might have at home. With limited knowledge of the local culture, native language, and in an unfamiliar environment, it is possible that the risks will be enhanced and possibly decrease their health. This highlights the need for proactive interventions, conceivably with some variations in content between sexes.

Aims: To follow up on exchange students' alcohol use, drug use, mental health, self-rated health, and risky sexual behaviour after a semester abroad and to compare them with students who remained on campus. Methods: The study design was a follow-up study based on a previous baseline survey of 114 prospective exchange students and 451 campus students. Of the original 565 students, 48 (42.1%) prospective exchange students and 209 (43.3%) campus students responded to the follow-up. Both the baseline survey and the follow-up survey included the General Health Questionnaire 12, one single item from Self-Rated Health, and nine items from Knowledge, Attitudes and Sexual Behaviour in Young People in Sweden. Results: We found a statistically significant increase in the weekly consumption of alcohol among exchange students after their semester abroad. A larger proportion of exchange students had sex with a new partner and sex with more than three partners during their semester abroad compared to follow-up campus students. Conclusions: Our findings indicate that exchange students consume alcohol more frequently during their semester abroad and indulge in sexually risky behaviour. Exchange students' use of alcohol and sexually risky behaviour could be associated with even greater risks due to them being in an unknown environment, unfamiliar culture, and with limited support from family and friends. This highlights the need for further research on exchange students' experiences, especially concerning alcohol use and sex while abroad.