Abstract: Objective To explore the impact of forum theatre on sexual health and HIV/AIDS prevention education among young students. Methods Three forum theatre events held in April 2023 were selected for a questionnaire survey targeting student audiences. The survey analyzed students’ knowledge and awareness of HIV/AIDS before and after the interventions, as well as their satisfaction with the events. Results A total of 516 participants attended the three events, and 460 valid questionnaires were collected both before and after the activities, resulting in a response rate of 89.15%. The median age was 19 years （ranging from 18 to 20）. Among the respondents, 39.3% （181 individuals） were male, and 60.7% （279 individuals） were female. After attending the forum theatre, students’ knowledge of HIV/AIDS significantly improved, with increased awareness rates for all questions compared to before the intervention （all P<0.01）. The awareness rate of the “National Eight Articles” increased from 77.4% before the intervention to 93.0% （P<0.01）. In terms of risk perception, students’ views on their risk of HIV infection changed significantly （P<0.01））, becoming more conservative in selecting sexual partners （P<0.01） and more cautious in engaging in sexual activities with partners of unknown HIV status （P<0.01）. Overall, 93.5% of students expressed preference with the “Knowledge-driven HIV Prevention” forum theatre, acknowledging that it increased their willingness to undergo testing （96.5%）, enhanced their awareness of preventive measures （96.1%）, improved their knowledge of sexual health and HIV/AIDS （95.0%）, increased acceptance of post-exposure prophylaxis for HIV （95.0%）, and encouraged more thoughtful sexual decision-making （94.8%）. Conclusions Forum theatre can effectively increase young students’ knowledge and awareness of sexual health and HIV/AIDS, and enhance their risk perception.Young students show high overall satisfaction with forum theatre, indicating its potential for strengthening HIV/AIDS prevention interventions among young students.

Key words: Forum theatre, Sexual health, HIV/AIDS, Young student