Marseille 2007
Marseille 2007
Abstract book
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Abstract #101  -  Sexual behavior in Spanish adolescents: description according to gender and age (Type of presentation: Poster)
Session:
  26.101: Posters B (Poster) on Tuesday   in  Chaired by
Authors:
  Presenting Author:   Ms Inmaculada Teva lvarez - Universidad de Granada (Spain), Spain
 
  Additional Authors:  Dr Mara Paz Bermdez, Dr Olga Gutirrez-Martnez, Mr Pablo Santos, Prof Gualberto Buela-Casal,  
Aim:
During adolescence sexual intercourse is starting and then, HIV risk behaviours could be emitted. Therefore, the aim of this work was to describe sexual behaviours of Spanish adolescents.
 
Method / Issue:
The participants were a representative sample of 4.303 Spanish adolescents from the different regions. Their age is among 13 and 19 years old (mean = 15.66; standard deviation = 1.26). 47.2% were men and 52.8% were women. It was used a questionnaire with questions related to sexual behaviour and it was made ad hoc. It is a cross-sectional study. The adolescents filled out the questionnaire in their classrooms at the high schools in a collective way and under the same conditions for all of them.
 
Results / Comments:
18.10% of adolescent women had not any kind of sexual contact. 51.09% had sexual contacts without penetration and 30.81% had sexual intercourse. Chi-square statistic showed that the age of adolescent women had an influence on if they had sexual intercourse, sexual contacts without penetration or no sex at all. 28.72% of adolescent women started to have sexual intercourse before 15 years old compared to 70.09% of women that started when they were among 15 and 17 years old. Only 1.19% had their first sexual intercourse when they were among 18 and 19 years old. Regarding to use of contraceptive methods during the last sexual intercourse, 15.65% of adolescent women indicated that they did not use any of them. The contraceptive method used by the majority of women was condom (92.26%). According to the type of partner with who they had their last sexual intercourse, 90.60% of adolescent women stated that it was with a steady partner. In the sample of adolescent men, 16.64% declared that they had not any sexual contact compared to 55.56% of boys that indicated to have sexual contacts without penetration and 27.80% of boys that had sexual intercourse. Chi-square showed that the age of adolescent men was related to have had sexual contacts with or without penetration and not to have any sexual contact. 30.31% of adolescent men started their sexual intercourse before 15 years old. Solely 1.38% of boys started to have sexual intercourse when they were 18 or older compared to 68.31% of boys that started this kind of sexual contact among 15 and 17 years old. 13.40% of adolescent men indicated not to use any contraceptive method during their last sexual intercourse. The contraceptive method mostly used was condom (94.73%). 63.96% of boys said that their last sexual intercourse was with a casual partner.
 
Discussion:
An important percentage of boys and girls are beginning their sexual intercourse before 15. Indeed, there is a great percentage of adolescents that did not use any contraceptive method during their last sexual intercourse. The majority of adolescent men had their last sexual intercourse with a casual partner. All these data show that Spanish adolescents are involved in HIV sexual risk behaviours. It is emphasized to insist in HIV prevention campaigns and in the promotion of sexual education.
 
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