[Adolescent females' knowledge about pregnancy prevention methods and sexually transmitted diseases]. / O conhecimento das adolescentes sobre questões relacionadas ao sexo.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate knowledge about sexuality, contraceptive methods and sexually transmitted diseases (STD) by female adolescents from both rural and urban zone attending public school. METHODS: A cross sectional study was made with 506 teenagers, 10 to 16 years old, attending Dr. Roberto Feijó Public School in Guararema, São Paulo. A semi-structured questionnaire with general questions about sexuality, contraceptive methods and STD was administered. The Chi-square test was used to verify the association between variables. RESULTS: Mean age of the girls from the rural zone was 13 years and 11 months and from the urban zone age was 13 years and 7 months, with no statistical difference. Of all the girls, 31% came from the rural and 69% from the urban zone. Adolescents from the rural zone looked for more information about sexuality (81.2%) when compared to those from the urban zone (72.2%) (p<0.0568). Parents were the main source of information for both zones. The condom was the most familiar method in the rural (44%) and the urban (45%) zones (p=0.0022). AIDS was the best known STD by girls from the rural (43%) and urban (39%) zones (p=0.7843). CONCLUSION: Most of the surveyed female adolescents sought information about sexuality, however their knowledge about STD and contraceptive methods was inadequate.

O conhecimento das adolescentes sobre questões relacionadas ao sexo / Adolescent females' knowledge about pregnancy prevention methods and sexually transmitted diseases

OBJETIVO: Avaliar o conhecimento sobre sexualidade, métodos contraceptivos e doenças sexualmente transmissíveis (DST) entre adolescentes do sexo feminino, das zonas rural e urbana, de uma escola pública. MÉTODOS: Estudo transversal, realizado com 506 meninas, com idades entre 10 e 16 anos, da Escola Dr. Roberto Feijó, em Guararema, SP. Utilizou-se questionário semi-estruturado, contendo perguntas gerais sobre sexualidade e métodos de prevenção de gravidez e DST. O teste do Qui-quadrado foi usado para verificar a associação entre as variáveis. RESULTADOS: A média de idade da população adolescente da escola proveniente da área rural foi 13 anos e 11 meses e da área urbana foi 13 anos e 7 meses, não havendo diferença estatística entre as médias. Trinta e um por cento eram provenientes da zona rural e 69 por cento da urbana. As jovens da zona rural buscaram mais informações sobre a sexualidade (81,2 por cento), comparadas com as da zona urbana (72,2 por cento) (p<0,0568), e a principal fonte de informação foram os pais nas duas regiões. A camisinha foi o método contraceptivo mais conhecido pelas adolescentes em ambas as áreas, 44 por cento a conheciam na zona rural e 45 por cento na urbana (p=0,0022). A Aids é a DST mais conhecida nos dois grupos; 43 por cento das jovens da zona rural e 39 por cento da zona urbana referiram conhecer a doença (p=0,7843). CONCLUSÃO: A maioria das adolescentes buscou informações sobre sexualidade, mas os conhecimentos sobre doenças sexualmente transmissíveis e contracepção são inadequados.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate knowledge about sexuality, contraceptive methods and sexually transmitted diseases (STD) by female adolescents from both rural and urban zone attending public school. METHODS: A cross sectional study was made with 506 teenagers, 10 to 16 years old, attending Dr. Roberto Feijó Public School in Guararema, São Paulo. A semi-structured questionnaire with general questions about sexuality, contraceptive methods and STD was administered. The Chi-square test was used to verify the association between variables. RESULTS: Mean age of the girls from the rural zone was13 years and 11 months and from the urban zone age was 13 years and 7 months, with no statistical difference. Of all the girls, 31 percent came from the rural and 69 percent from the urban zone. Adolescents from the rural zone looked for more information about sexuality (81.2 percent) when compared to those from the urban zone (72.2 percent) (p<0.0568). Parents were the main source of information for both zones. The condom was the most familiar method in the rural (44 percent) and the urban (45 percent) zones (p=0.0022). AIDS was the best known STD by girls from the rural (43 percent) and urban (39 percent) zones (p=0.7843). CONCLUSION: Most of the surveyed female adolescents sought information about sexuality, however their knowledge about STD and contraceptive methods was inadequate.