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ABSTRATCS
DUARTE, Regina Célia. Knowledge and prevention of AIDS and other sexually
transmissible dieseases in adolescents. 2008. Dissertation (Master's degree). Psychology of
the Health. Methodist University of São Paulo. São Bernardo do Campo. Brasil.
The Psychology of the Health has been dedicating itself to assisting the demand of the public
health, mainly regarding to the prevention of diseases and promotion of the health. Referring
to the epidemic of AIDS and other sexually transmissible diseases, the adolescent has been
the most vulnerable public. Adolescence is considered a disturbed and disturbing phase. In
this period of the life the adolescent is more susceptible to the contamination of such
dieseases due to the emotional instability and his/her own position towards values and
patterns of conduct. The aim of this study is to evaluate knowledge and protection/risk
behaviors of adolescents' sexual practices, to identify socioeconomic and demographic data
of those adolescents', to investigate the adolescents' knowledge about AIDS and other
sexually transmissible dieseases and to know the protection behaviors and risks regarding
these dieseases. The population of this study was constituted by 95 adolescents between 14
and 21 years old, of both sexes, with a predominance of the masculine gender and with an
average family income of 4 (four) minimum wages. It is a descriptive research, in which a
questionnaire composed by questions directly related to the theme was used. The collection of
data took place at classroom of a state school from Guarulhos, a city nearby São Paulo, with
pupils from the evening school. After answering the questionnaire, the adolescents attended a
lecture about prevention and orientation about AIDS and other sexually transmissible
dieseases, in which they could elucidate doubts. The results show that 67,4% of the
adolescents have difficulties in defining the sexuality concept, in an almost equal proportion
between feminine and masculine gender, and 84,2% know correctly the definition of sexually
transmissible diseases. Most of the adolescents (67,4%) answered that they know some types
of sexually transmissible diseases, standing out AIDS and the gonorrhea. The masculine
gender had the beginning of the sexual life at the age of 10 and the feminine gender, at the age
of 13: this represents 53,7% with active sexual life. In this study, 58,9% of them inform that
they know what are the protection behaviors, however, among these, only 55,8% use the
masculine preservative (condom). There are no significant differences concerning the
relationship type and the constant use of the masculine preservative. It was verified that
63,1% of the adolescents obtain information and knowledge about AIDS and other sexually
transmissible dieseases through the professionals of the education and of the health. In that
way, the classroom turns to be a protection factor. This study confirms that part of the
adolescents has knowledge and information about AIDS and other sexually transmissible
dieseases, however, this knowledge is fragile when it comes to the practices for a protection
behavior, what produces a risk behavior. These situations endanger the taking of protection
behaviors. Therefore, a continuous program from the health and the education areas made
directly inside the school, which develops interactive activities in order to transform the
adolescent's behavior about information and knowledge in effective conscience of protection
behaviors can improve this relation between having the knowledge and using it in the
practice.
Keywords: 1. Adolescents. 2. Sexuality. 3. Diseases sexually transmissible-prevention. 4.
AIDS-prevention.