Sexual behavior of school-aged adolescents in the city of Goiânia, Goiás

Cross-sectional study using data from the National Adolescent School-based Health Survey (PeNSE) 2009, carried out by the Brazilian Ministry of Health, in partnership with the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE). The sample consisted of 3,099 9^th graders living in Goiânia, State of Goiás, Brazil, mostly aged between 13 to 15 years old, who answered a self-applicable questionnaire on risk and protective health factors. The Rao-Scott test was used in the statistical analysis, considering the complex sample design.

RESULTS:

The prevalence of sexual intercourse was of 26.5% (95%CI 23.8 - 29.4) at least once in life and of 18.5% (95%CI 16.5 - 20.8) in the last year. Both behaviors were more frequent among male students and among those attending public schools. Most of the respondents had their first intercourse at the age of 13 or younger, with up to 3 partners. They had also used a pregnancy prevention method in the last intercourse, and received guidance on prevention at school. The age of the first intercourse was earlier and the number of partners was higher among male students. More females and those attending public schools reported having received information on pregnancy prevention. Guidance on STD/AIDS was also more frequent in public schools.

CONCLUSION:

Results showed a need for health education measures involving education and health professionals, as well as parents, to reduce the discrepancies found regarding sex and type of school.

Sex; Sexual and reproductive health; Adolescent; School health; Sexual behavior; Sexual partners

Variables	Category	n	% (95%CI)*
Sexual behavior
Ever had sexual intercourse (n = 3099)	Yes	823	26.5 (23.8 – 29.4)
Ever had sexual intercourse (n = 3099)	No	2276	73.5 (70.6 – 76.2)
Sexual intercourse in the past 12 months (n = 3048)	Yes	563	18.5 (16.5 – 20.8)
Sexual intercourse in the past 12 months (n = 3048)	No	2485	81.5 (79.2 – 83.5)
Age of the first sexual intercourse (n = 808)	< 13 years old	500	63.2 (58.8 – 67.4)
	14 years old	188	22.0 (18.8 – 25.7)
	> 15 years old	120	14.8 (12.0 – 18.1)
Number of partners (n = 811)	1	346	41.9 (38.2 – 45.6)
	2 to 3	220	27.4 (24.3 – 30.7)
	4 to 6	168	21.0 (18.0 – 24.2)
	Doest not remember	77	9.8 (8.2 – 11.7)
Use of contraceptive methods in the last intercourse (n = 819)	Yes	594	71.9 (67.9 – 75.6)
	No	176	22.4 (18.8 – 26.2)
	Does not know	49	5.8 (4.2 – 8.0)
Use of condom in the last intercourse (n = 817)	Yes	625	75.9 (73.2 – 78.5)
	No	171	21.7 (19.0 – 24.7)
	Does not know	21	2.3 (1.5 – 3.7)
Orientations about sexual health at school
Preventing pregnancy (n = 3041)	Yes	2475	82.1 (79.2 – 84.6)
	No	387	12.4 (10.5 – 14.5)
	Does not know	179	5.6 (4.5 – 6.8)
Prevention of AIDS and other STDs (n = 3055)	Yes	2733	89.6 (88.0 – 91.0)
	No	233	7.5 (6.4 – 8.8)
	Does not know	89	2.9 (2.2 – 3.6)
How to obtain a condom (n = 3055)	Yes	2132	70.1 (67.0 – 73.1)
	No	661	21.5 (19.1 – 24.0)
	Does not know	262	8.4 (7.2 – 9.7)

Variables	Male n (%)*	Female n (%)*	p-value**
Ever had sexual intercourse (n = 823)	584 (38.3)	239 (15.2)	< 0.001
Intercourse in the past 12 months (n = 563)	379 (25.4)	184 (12.0)	< 0.001
Age of first sexual intercourse (n = 808)
< 13 years old	383 (68.8)	117 (49.8)	< 0.001
14 years old	120 (19.2)	68 (28.6)
> 15 years old	70 (11.9)	50 (21.6)
Number of partners (n = 734)
1	208 (35.0)	138 (58.5)	< 0.001
2 to 3	170 (29.6)	50 (21.9)
4 to 6	138 (24.2)	30 (13.2)
Use of contraceptive method in the last intercourse (n = 594)	410 (70.6)	184 (75.0)	0.048
Use of condom in the last intercourse (n = 625)	447 (77.0)	178 (73.3)	0.292

Variables	Public school n (%)*	Private school n (%)*	p-value**
Ever had sexual intercourse (n = 823)	627 (30.4)	196 (18.8)	< 0.001
Intercourse in the past 12 months (n = 563)	418 (20.9)	145 (14.0)	< 0.001
Age of first sexual intercourse (n = 808)
< 13 years old	389 (64.1)	111 (60.4)	0.512
14 years old	135 (20.8)	53 (25.8)
> 15 years old	92 (15.1)	28 (13.7)
Number of partners (n = 734)
1	255 (41.8)	91 (44.2)	0.535
2 to 3	172 (28.1)	48 (25.2)
4 to 6	125 (20.1)	43 (23.7)
Use of contraceptive method in the last intercourse (n = 594)	451 (71.7)	143 (72.5)	0.501
Use of condom in the last intercourse (n = 625)	477 (76.6)	148 (73.9)	0.376

Variables	Male n (%)*	Female n (%)*	p-value**	Public school n (%)*	Private school n (%)*	p-value**
Counseling on pregnancy prevention (n = 2475)	1158 (80.1)	1317 (83.9)	0.037	1650 (85.3)	825 (89.9)	0.020
Counseling about AIDS and other STDs (n = 2733)	1297 (88.1)	1436 (91.0)	0.097	1840 (91.4)	893 (93.9)	0.024
Orientation about how to obtain a condom (n = 2132)	1036 (70.4)	1096 (69.9)	0.345	1439 (75.8)	693 (78.0)	0.437

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E-mail: revbrepi@usp.br

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[1] Corresponding author: Reinaldo Satoru Azevedo Sasaki. Departamento de Ginecologia e Obstetrícia da Universidade Federal de Goiás. Alameda Cel. Joaquim Bastos, 134, Setor Marista, CEP: 74175-150, Goiânia, GO, Brasil. E-mail: reinaldo_sasaki@yahoo.com.br