Adolescents’ Knowledge of Sexuality in a School Context: A Descriptive Study

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: School is a privileged place for sex education that equips adolescents with the knowledge and skills to make choices about their health, well-being and safe experience of sexuality. The study was carried out as part of a health promotion project with secondary school students from a school in the Lisbon Metropolitan Region, with the aim of drawing up a profile of knowledge, beliefs and attitudes about sexuality, which would inform the development of specific and adapted interventions. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a descriptive, correlational, cross-sectional study using a questionnaire comprising questions on socio-demographic and academic characterization and two scales of knowledge, beliefs and attitudes towards sexuality (QCS and QACSES), validated for the population under study. The sample consisted of students from a secondary school attending the 10th, 11th and 12th grades. RESULTS: The sample had an average age of 16,4 years, 51,1% boys and 48,5% girls. Female gender, age and previous attendance at courses on sexuality showed statistically significant correlations with knowledge and/or attitudes and these also showed a positive correlation with each other. The different areas of study also showed significant differences in terms of both attitudes and knowledge. CONCLUSIONS: The instruments used are suitable for the initial diagnosis and/or assessment of sexuality.