10th INTERNATIONAL NURSING RESEARCH CONFERENCE Margarida Reis Santos Albacete, November 2006

10th INTERNATIONAL NURSING RESEARCH CONFERENCE Margarida Reis Santos Albacete, November 2006 INTRODUCTION A large number of youngsters have their first sexual experience while teenagers Introduction to sexual activity is not associated with a consistent sexual education, and in most cases their knowledge of physiologic or biologic aspects of sex or reproduction, is basically non- existent Many of them do not use any contraceptive method, increasing the risk of unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections Sexual Behaviour of High-school Adolescents

10th INTERNATIONAL NURSING RESEARCH CONFERENCE Margarida Reis Santos Albacete, November 2006 AIM Progress towards better health, both to the adolescent and to the future adult Propose nursing strategies that develop pro-health behaviours in adolescents Sexual Behaviour of High-school Adolescents

10th INTERNATIONAL NURSING RESEARCH CONFERENCE Margarida Reis Santos Albacete, November 2006 OBJECTIVES Identify the sexual habits Identify the health care concerns of high-school adolescents that are sexually active Sexual Behaviour of High-school Adolescents

10th INTERNATIONAL NURSING RESEARCH CONFERENCE Margarida Reis Santos Albacete, November 2006 METHODOLOGY Descriptive and exploratory study Data collection: questionnaire February and March of 2005 Sexual Behaviour of High-school Adolescents

10th INTERNATIONAL NURSING RESEARCH CONFERENCE Margarida Reis Santos Albacete, November 2006 SAMPLE 287 adolescents 57,7% females Age 15 to 19 years Average 16,6 years (standard deviation of 1,01) Attending the 10th (41,1%), 11th (47,8%) and 12th (11,1%) years, all from schools located in the district of Porto Sexual Behaviour of High-school Adolescents

10th INTERNATIONAL NURSING RESEARCH CONFERENCE Margarida Reis Santos Albacete, November 2006 RESULTS Sexual relations 30,3% yes Age at their first sexual relation was in the average 15,4 years old Girls initiated their sexual activity earlier than boys Sexual Behaviour of High-school Adolescents

10th INTERNATIONAL NURSING RESEARCH CONFERENCE Margarida Reis Santos Albacete, November 2006 RESULTS Contraception: 88,2% used in their first sexual relation > condom 89,3%, > pill 2,7%, > condom and pill 8% No one recommended the majority No one referred nurses as their source of information No one referred nurses as their source of information Sexual Behaviour of High-school Adolescents

10th INTERNATIONAL NURSING RESEARCH CONFERENCE Margarida Reis Santos Albacete, November 2006 RESULTS Contraception in first intercourse “did not have any available on the occasion” 57,1% “were too young, so there was no problem” 14,3% “forgot to use it” 14,3% “was too young and was sure that she had no diseases” 14,3% Sexual Behaviour of High-school Adolescents WHY NOT

10th INTERNATIONAL NURSING RESEARCH CONFERENCE Margarida Reis Santos Albacete, November 2006 RESULTS Sexual partner today: 81% Contraceptive method: 95,7% yes, 2,9% no and 1,4% only use occasionally – Condom 77,9% – Pill 13,2% – Pill and the condom 7,4% – Pill and sometimes the condom 1,5% Sexual Behaviour of High-school Adolescents

10th INTERNATIONAL NURSING RESEARCH CONFERENCE Margarida Reis Santos Albacete, November 2006 RESULTS Place where they acquire contraceptives: 73,4% pharmacy Place where they have relations: 58,9% said that they use their home Sexual partners: 76,7% girls only had one and none had more than three. Boys had from one (42,1%) to eight (2,6%) Sexual Behaviour of High-school Adolescents

10th INTERNATIONAL NURSING RESEARCH CONFERENCE Margarida Reis Santos Albacete, November 2006 RESULTS Family planning session: 8,2% yes – Healthcare centre 85,7% – Maternity hospital 14,3% Sexual activity counselling: 3,6% talked with a nurse and 16,7% with a doctor Sexual Behaviour of High-school Adolescents

10th INTERNATIONAL NURSING RESEARCH CONFERENCE Margarida Reis Santos Albacete, November 2006 RESULTS Age Having sexual relations Most of the adolescents that have already had sexual relations are students of 17 and 18 years old Sexual Behaviour of High-school Adolescents p=0,0

10th INTERNATIONAL NURSING RESEARCH CONFERENCE Margarida Reis Santos Albacete, November 2006 CONCLUSIONS The results obtained in our study are in accordance with the literature: Many youngsters begin their sexual activity while teenagers (Bekaert, 2005) Girls become sexually active earlier than boys, but boys have a higher number of sexual partners (Durex Report, 2004; Coslin, 2003) Sexual Behaviour of High-school Adolescents

10th INTERNATIONAL NURSING RESEARCH CONFERENCE Margarida Reis Santos Albacete, November 2006 CONCLUSIONS Most adolescents in our sample indicate to have used contraceptive methods in their first sexual relation All youngsters considered were students (Friedman, 1998; Schutt-Aine, Maddaleno, 2003) Sexual Behaviour of High-school Adolescents  from literature

10th INTERNATIONAL NURSING RESEARCH CONFERENCE Margarida Reis Santos Albacete, November 2006 CONCLUSIONS Willingness to obtain professional health care help Health care professionals and their institutions must be proactive in offering help to this group, instead of waiting for them to take the first step Sexual Behaviour of High-school Adolescents

10th INTERNATIONAL NURSING RESEARCH CONFERENCE Margarida Reis Santos Albacete, November 2006 CONCLUSIONS Nurses and doctors must use all appointments with adolescents to enquiry about their sexuality and to contribute to their education in this area Nurses from health care centres must participate in school programs addressing education for health in sexuality Sexual Behaviour of High-school Adolescents

10th INTERNATIONAL NURSING RESEARCH CONFERENCE Margarida Reis Santos Albacete, November 2006 REFERENCES BEKAERT, S. (2005) – Adolescents and Sex: The handbook for professionals working with young people. Oxford: Radcliffe Publishing COSLIN, P. (2003) – Les Conduites à Risque à L ’ Adolescence. Paris: Armand Colin Éditeur Durex Report (2004) – Sexual Behaviour of High-school Adolescents

10th INTERNATIONAL NURSING RESEARCH CONFERENCE Margarida Reis Santos Albacete, November 2006 REFERENCES FRIEDMAN, S., et al (1998) – Comprehensive Adolescent Health Care. 2 nd edition, St Louis:Mosby SCHUTT-AINE, J; MADDALENO, M. (2003) – Sexual Health and Development of Adolescents and Youth in the Americas: Program and Policy Implications. Pan American Health Organization, Regional Office of the WHO. Sexual Behaviour of High-school Adolescents