Department of Developmental and Educational Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Valencia, 46010 Valencia, Spain.
Department of Basic and Clinical Psychology and Psychobiology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Jaume I University, 12007 Castellón de la Plana, Spain.
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022 Oct 10;19(19):12948. doi: 10.3390/ijerph191912948.
Adolescents in the child welfare system often face multiple maladaptive experiences that predispose them to worse sexual health outcomes. This study aims to (1) describe the sexual health of adolescents in Spanish residential care by exploring their sexual knowledge, attitudes toward sexuality, and sexual behaviors and (2) to find out whether there are certain characteristics that make a subgroup particularly vulnerable to engaging in risky sexual behaviors. A total of 346 adolescents recruited from 47 Spanish residential care facilities (34.1% girls, 65.9% boys) aged between 11 and 19 years old completed some self-report instruments. Descriptive analyses and tests to prove gender and age differences were conducted. Their knowledge of sexuality was lower than observed in the general adolescent population, their attitudes more negative, and their tendency to engage in risky sexual behaviors higher. Girls made very infrequent use of condoms, while boys had more sexist attitudes and made habitual use of withdrawal. Although more than 20% of them had experienced sexual exchange activities before the age of 13 until 17, they did not use condoms systematically. The low level of knowledge, the early initiation of sexual exchange activities, and the scarce use of protection methods, together with sexist attitudes, place this group in a situation of great vulnerability, increasing the risk of unwanted pregnancies, sexually transmitted infections, and even teen dating violence.
儿童福利系统中的青少年经常面临多种适应不良的经历，使他们更容易出现更糟糕的性健康结果。本研究旨在：(1) 通过探索青少年的性知识、对性的态度和性行为，描述西班牙语寄宿照料中青少年的性健康状况；(2) 找出是否存在某些特征使特定亚组特别容易从事危险的性行为。共有 346 名年龄在 11 至 19 岁之间的青少年从 47 家西班牙寄宿照料机构中招募(34.1%为女孩，65.9%为男孩)，他们完成了一些自我报告的工具。进行了描述性分析和性别与年龄差异的检验。他们的性知识低于一般青少年群体，态度更消极，有风险的性行为倾向更高。女孩很少使用避孕套，而男孩则有更多的性别歧视态度，习惯性地使用体外射精。尽管他们中有超过 20%的人在 13 岁之前和 17 岁之间有过性交换活动，但他们没有系统地使用避孕套。知识水平低、性交换活动的早期开始和保护方法的缺乏，再加上性别歧视的态度，使这群人处于非常脆弱的境地，增加了意外怀孕、性传播感染，甚至青少年约会暴力的风险。
