Social, Reproductive And Sexual Profiles Of Adolescents Seeking Care In Gynecology Outpatient Facility
Keywords:
adolescent, contraception, Sexually transmitted diseasesAbstract
Objective
To understand the social, reproductive and sexual profiles of adolescents treated at the Gynecology Outpatient Clinic of the Center for Comprehensive Care for Women's Health at the State University of Campinas, São Paulo.
Methods
A survey on knowledge, attitude and practice was carried out with 101 adolescents between 14 and 19 years old. To this end, the questionnaire was administered during the first consultation, to obtain information about age, education, leisure habits, sexual activity, parity, knowledge and use of contraceptives and knowledge about sexually transmitted diseases. Data analysis was carried out using descriptive statistics of frequency, mean and standard deviation.
Results
The average age of the adolescents was 16.02 years. The majority were white, single, students; but 33% of them reported dropping out of school. Approximately 70% had already had sexual intercourse; the average age at first sexual intercourse was 14.33 years old and half of these adolescents did not use a contraceptive method during their first sexual intercourse. Around 40% of teenagers had already become pregnant and the majority of pregnancies were unplanned. Regarding knowledge and prevention of sexually transmitted diseases, the majority reported clarifying their doubts with parents and friends and knew the ways in which Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome is transmitted; however, half of the adolescents did not use condoms (Venus shirt, condom) to prevent sexually transmitted diseases.
Conclusion
The profile of adolescents shows the early onset of sexual activity, low incidence of contraceptive and preventive use, high incidence of adolescents with a history of pregnancy, in addition to a high rate of school dropout. Such results highlight the need to promote well-directed and effective actions to improve the quality of life and reproductive health of adolescents.
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