Knowledge on sexual health of the adolescents in three Valencia’ secondary education institutes

Introduction: a healthy sex education promotes both the individual health and the construction of an integral behaviour model which contributes to personal balance, communicative skills, pleasure and a good development of affectivity. The problem of teenagers? sexuality is not that they are active sexually, but that they have neither a preparation nor an orientation in order to responsible sex behaviour. The study?s aim was to describe the information that Valencia? secondary obligatory education adolescents have with regard to: contraceptive methods, sexually transmitted diseases (STD), abortion and teenager?s self-opinion.

Material and methods: descriptive, transversal and observational study.

Population: fifteen to eighteen-year-old adolescent students of three secondary education institutes. The information was obtained by an ad hoc anonymous survey.

Results: the surveys of 67 adolescents (43.3% boys and 56.7% girls) are studied. The study shows a lack (30%) with regard to contraceptive methods. Eighty eight percent of the population agrees on abortion. There is a low consciousness with regard to seriousness and importance of STD. Couple relations are described as absorbent (25%). Moreover, adolescents? opinion of the opposite sex is not too bad or negative by almost 50% of adolescents.

Conclusion: an integral sex education is needed both from educational systems and family, in order to a suitable adolescent sexual health.