On the basis of the philosophy of OMS and ABEn (Associação Brasileira de Enfermagem) with respect to the problems faced by young organisms, during the present International Youth Year we organized a Health and Education Program for secondary state schools in the city of Ribeirão Preto, State of São Paulo. Our objective was to determine how young people perceive the adolescent phase, what their major problems are, what subjects they would like to discuss, how they consider the nursing profession and its insertion in politics. One of the six schools studied was chosen for the pilot plan. In the remaining ones we utilized the techniques of observation and interviews. The tool we used was a questionnaire which was submitted to 1976 subjects of both sexes aged 14 to 36 years. All subjects showed satisfactory knowledge about youth, health, the best and the worst things in life, and the functions of nurses. They showed concern with the future, with a profession and with present politics. As to the problems and topics they would like to discuss, 85% mentioned drugs, alcohol and tobacco smoking; 83%, pregnancy and abortion; 81% sex and venereal disease; 78%, going steady; 69%, prostitution; 67%, leisure and a profession; 66%, hygiene and health; 61%, suicide, etc. Classes were given, and guidance and referral were offered to the subjects
