The present study is a research of qualitative nature. The method used was the Life History method. The main purpose of this research was to analyze the vulnerability of adolescents to sexually transmitted diseases (STD). The objectives were to identify the vulnerable conditions of adolescents under care at maternity wards of public hospitals in Rio de Janeiro and to describe the strategies adopted by adolescents to prevent sexually transmitted diseases. This was done by obtaining the life history of adolescents and analyzing their vulnerability to sexually transmitted diseases. According to this study, adolescents with unstable family backgrounds are less resilient, and therefore more vulnerable to being infected by sexually transmitted diseases. The study emphasizes the importance of nurses taking ownership of the concepts of vulnerability and resilience to be able to stimulate and enhance self-esteem in adolescents and reduce their vulnerability to sexually transmitted diseases.
Vulnerability; Adolescent; Sexually Transmitted Diseases; Nursing; Qualitative Research