PERINATOLOGIYA I PEDIATRIYA.2015.2(62):97-100;doi10.15574/PP.2015.62.97

Early onset of sexual activity among adolescents: Causes and Consequences

Oniskova O. V., Yushchenko L. A., Kovalenko S. A.

Vinnitsa National Medical University named after NI Pirogov, Vinnitsa, Ukraine

Purpose — to estimate the sexual activity of modern teenagers; examine the level of knowledge about sexual development, transsexual diseases, types of contraception; develop possible steps to preserve the reproductive health of young people.

Patients and methods. A survey among teenagers — pupils of 10–11 grades of four schools of Vinnitsa and Vinnitsa medical college students. The sample of respondents was 295 persons, 124 of them (42.04%) boys and 171 (57.96%) Girl aged 15–17. The average age of the young men was 16±1,5 years, women — 16±1,1 year. The survey was completely anonymous, guaranteed confidentiality of the data. Access to the results obtained were only researchers. The survey was conducted after obtaining the informed consent of the parents of students and the administration.

Results. Reproductive behavior of teenagers today is characterized by early onset of sexual activity, a change in sexual partners, insufficient use of contraceptives, a high level of teenage pregnancies and abortions, which affects the overall reproductive health. Awareness of adolescent sexual development, diseases that are transmitted sexually, types of contraception are inadequate for the formation of motivation for the reproductive health of adolescents.

Conclusions. Desirable to consider the introduction of special classes on sex education in a secondary school with the spread of specialized newsletters in electronic or print versions for self-study, to attract Internet resources on the subject of sex education, the creation of youth projects for complex work with teenagers, of the availability of medical and preventive assistance in public health institutions with a broad awareness of the effects of early sexual activity.

Key words: adolescents, reproductive behavior, sexual debut.