Prevalence of sexually transmissible infections in adolescents treated in a family planning outpatient clinic for adolescents in the western Amazon.

Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are among the most common public health problems worldwide, especially among adolescents and young adults, who account for almost 50% of all STI patients. Studies on the subject in the western Amazon are limited. This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of STIs (chlamydia, gonorrhea, trichomoniasis, herpes simplex virus, syphilis, human immunodeficiency virus [HIV], hepatitis B, and hepatitis C) in adolescents treated at a family planning outpatient clinic in the western Amazon: Porto Velho, Rondônia, Brazil. A total of 196 adolescents were enrolled. During the gynecological examination, endocervical samples were collected to test for four STIs (chlamydia, gonorrhea, trichomoniasis, and herpes simplex virus), and blood samples were collected for the detection of HIV, syphilis, and hepatitis B and C. The mean age was 17.3 ± 1.5 years, the age at sexarche was 14.4 ± 1.6 years, and 54.6% of participants had their first sexual intercourse at 14 years or younger. Only 1.0% of the adolescents used condoms in all sexual relations, and 19.9% had casual partner(s) in the last year. In the evaluation of prevalence, we found that 32% of the adolescents had at least one STI, with the most prevalent being chlamydia (23%), followed by trichomoniasis (5.6%), herpes simplex (4.6%), and gonorrhea (3.1%). No positive cases of hepatitis B, hepatitis C, or HIV were detected, but 1% of the adolescents tested positive for syphilis. These indicators will support more effective health care strategies aimed at improving the quality of life of populations in this region of the western Amazon. In conclusion, our findings demonstrated high rates of STIs in the studied patients, reinforcing the need to expand epidemiological studies to implement more appropriate public policies and intervention strategies to prevent STIs in adolescents and other vulnerable populations in the western Amazon.

Trends in teenage pregnancy in Brazil in the last 20 years (2000-2019).

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the frequency of teenage pregnancy in all Brazilian regions and states in the period of 2000-2019 among two age groups, namely, 10-14 and 15-19 years old, and correlate it with the human development index. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was performed by using the data from the Live Birth Info System from the National Health System's database. RESULTS: The percentage of live births from teenage mothers (age 10-19 years) in Brazil decreased by 37.2% (i.e., 23.4 in 2000 to 14.7% in 2019) in all regions. Amazonas and Maranhão were the only states to show increased fertility rates for teens in the age group of 10-14 years. The fertility index decreased from 80.9-48% in all states among mothers aged 15-19 years. Only the Southeast and South regions showed levels below the Brazilian average (i.e., 38.2 and 39%, respectively). The proportion of live birth showed an inversely proportional trend to the human development index score. CONCLUSIONS: Brazil shows a decline in the percentage of live birth among adolescent mothers and the fertility rate. Live birth is inversely proportional to the human development index score. However, the teenage pregnancy numbers are still high, with great regional inequality in the country.