Abreu Catarina, Sá Luísa, Santos Paulo
Department of Community Medicine, Information and Health Decision Sciences (MEDCIDS), Center for Health Technology and Services Research (CINTESIS@RISE), Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, 4200-393 Porto, Portugal.
Healthcare (Basel). 2024 Nov 15;12(22):2283. doi: 10.3390/healthcare12222283.
: Adolescence represents a period of heightened vulnerability to risky sexual behaviours. In Portugal, adolescents are initiating sexual activity at increasingly younger ages, making it relevant to characterise their knowledge about sexually transmitted diseases and prevention methods at an earlier stage of their development. : A cross-sectional observational study was conducted involving the application of a questionnaire to 750 ninth-grade students from Vila Nova de Gaia, Porto, Portugal. The questionnaire covered topics such as perceptions of sexuality, knowledge of sexuality and STIs, methods of transmission prevention, and sources of information. : The mean age was 14.4 years, with 19.9% reporting having already initiated sexual activity. Overall, the knowledge about sexually transmitted infections was low, with a score of 7.08 out of a maximum score of 18. Condoms and immunisation were well-recognised preventive measures, but many misconceptions persisted. Better knowledge is associated with better attitudes regarding the likelihood of having sexual intercourse. : This study reveals adolescents' limited knowledge about sexually transmitted infections, misconceptions about prevention, and reliance on peers and the internet over trusted sources, highlighting the need for comprehensive sexual education in middle school.
青春期是一个对危险性行为易感性增强的时期。在葡萄牙，青少年开始性行为的年龄越来越小，因此在他们发育的早期阶段了解他们对性传播疾病及预防方法的知识很有必要。
开展了一项横断面观察性研究，对葡萄牙波尔图加亚新城的750名九年级学生进行问卷调查。问卷涵盖了性观念、性知识和性传播感染知识、传播预防方法以及信息来源等主题。
平均年龄为14.4岁，19.9%的学生报告称已经开始性行为。总体而言，对性传播感染的知识掌握程度较低，满分18分的情况下平均得分为7.08分。避孕套和免疫接种是广为人知的预防措施，但仍存在许多误解。对性行为可能性持更好的态度与掌握更多知识相关。
这项研究揭示了青少年对性传播感染的知识有限、对预防存在误解以及依赖同龄人而非可靠来源和互联网，凸显了中学阶段开展全面性教育的必要性。
