What do women teenagers know about contraceptive methods?

Study of a teenage population living in Piedras Blancas, Montevideo, Uruguay

  • Alejandro de Dios Moccia Universidad de la República, Facultad de Medicina, Hospital de Clínicas, Clínica Ginecotocológica "B", Asistente
  • Raúl Medina Milanesi Universidad de la República, Facultad de Medicina, Hospital de Clínicas, Clínica Ginecotocológica "B", Profesor Director
Keywords: ADOLESCENCE, CONTRACEPTION, SEX EDUCATION

Abstract

Background: Teenage pregnancy is actually a social and sanitary problem. Among a wide and complex range of causes, the early starting of sexual relations and the lake of information are the most important. The aims of the study comprise to make a profile of the studied teenagers and to diagnose the use of different contraceptive methods, in order to plan new strategies.
Methods: A protocol was designed to be completed anonymously by a group of adolescents that reached the conditions proposed by the study. The inquiry was conducted at the Gynaecological Centre for Adolescents in Piedras Blancas, part of the Department of Gynaecology B, Faculty of Medicine.
Results: The average age of starting sexual intercourses in this population was 16.4 years. Out of the total population, 97% was informed about contraceptive methods but 68% did not use or misuse them; 78% of the surveyed teenagers was informed about contraceptive methods.
Conclusions: Age of starting sexual intercourse was, on average, similar to Uruguayan and foreign populations. Teenagers know contraceptive methods uses but they did not employ or misused them. A high percent was informed on how to use them by non-qualified people.

References

1) Conselo E. Normas de atención integral de la salud en la adolescencia. Montevideo: MSP, 2003.
2) Portillo J. La sexualidad de los adolescentes. Montevideo: Banda Oriental, 1992.
3) Cutie J, Laffita A, Toledo M. Primera relación sexual en adolescentes cubanos. Rev Chil Obstet Ginecol 2005; 70(2): 83-6.
4) Kahn J, Huang B, Austin S, Aweh G, Colditz G, Frazier A. Development of a scale to measure adolescents’ beliefs and attitudes about postponing sexual initiation. J Adolesc Health 2004; 35: 425.
5) Garriguet D. Early sexual intercourse. Health Rep 2005; 16(3): 9-18.
6) Ream G, Savin-Williams R. Reciprocal associations between adolescent sexual activity and quality of youth parent interactions. J Fam Psychol 2005; 19(2): 171-9.
7) Tanne J. Teenagers need sex education, not just abstinence advice. BMJ 2005; 331(7509): 129.
8) Bigrigg A, Nandwani R, Ilett R, Thow C, Lamont M, Bankowska V, et al. Use of a staff administered structured questionnaire to identify relevant life-style issues and social-health determinants in a sexual health service. Eur J Contracept Reprod Health Care 2005; 10: 66-72.
9) Krahe B, Abraham C, Scheinberger-Olwig R. Can safer-sex promotion leaflets change cognitive antecedents of condom use? An experimental evaluation. Br J Health Psychol 2005; 10(Pt2): 203-20.
10) Sieverding J, Adler N, Witt S, Ellen J. The influence of parenal monitoring on adolescent sexual initiation. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med 2005; 159(8): 724-9.
Published
2006-09-30
How to Cite
1.
de Dios Moccia A, Medina Milanesi R. What do women teenagers know about contraceptive methods?. Rev. Méd. Urug. [Internet]. 2006Sep.30 [cited 2024Nov.8];22(3):185-90. Available from: http://www2.rmu.org.uy/ojsrmu311/index.php/rmu/article/view/691
Issue
Vol 22 No 3 (2006): Revista Médica del Uruguay
Section
Original Articles
Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.