Objective: To explore the relationship between childhood sexual abuse (CSA) experience and sexual behavior among female nursing students and to provide a scientific reference for intervening sexual behavior for female nursing students. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 2 549 female students majoring nursing from four medical schools (one is a medical college and the other is medical junior college) by self-administered questionnaire. A questionnaire survey regarding demographic information, childhood sexual abuse, sexual behavior was conducted and multi-factor Logistic regression method was used to analyze the effect of childhood sexual abuse in different stages made on their sexual behavior. Results: Among 2 549 female nursing students, 143(5.6%) reported having had sexual intercourse, 141 reported having had sexual intercourse with the opposite sex, 6 reported having had sexual intercourse with the same sex, and 4 reported having sexual intercourse with both sexes. The report rate of sexual behavior of nursing students in undergraduate colleges (6.8%) was lower than that of junior college (3.9%), the second-grade nursing students reported the highest rate of sexual behavior (7.8%), the lowest in first grade (4.0%). Nursing students in good relationship with parents reported lowest rate of sexual behavior(P<0.05). Compared to those who had not experienced CSA, students who had experienced contacting or no-contacting CSA reported a higher percentage engaged in sexual intercourse(P<0.05). CSA in all types and different stages in childhood associated with higher risk of sexual intercourse among nursing students(P<0.05). Conclusion Childhood sexual abuse shows significant impacts on sexual behaviors during young adulthood, which warrants further attention to promote physical and mental health of college students.