Educación sexual: un pilar fundamental en la sexualidad de la adolescencia / Sex education as a cornerstone for a healthy teenage sexuality

Sexuality is more than reproduction, it is an intrinsic part of each of us, is how we develop and relate with others and with the environment of the society to which we belong. Adolescence is a period with special vulnerability for the development of risky behaviors. In Chile, a progressive decrease in the age of sexual activity onset is observed, particularly in lower socioeconomic strata. The main consequences in sexual health are teenage pregnancies and the risk of acquiring sexually transmitted infections such as HIV. The main strategy for the prevention of this risks is a thorough sexual education, that has to be timely, objective, based on scientific evidence, friendly and confidential.

Educar en conductas sexuales saludables: una innovación docente en promoción de la salud / Education about healthy sexual behaviors among high school students

Background: The need to educate adolescents about healthy sexual behavior motivated the development of an education program on sexuality. Aim: To describe the knowledge of students about sexuality and the implementation of a sexual education project. Material and Methods: Sixty students aged 14 years (34 females), attending the third year of secondary education participated in dynamic workshops about healthy sexual behaviors. Results: The most common reactions of students when facing situations related to sexual behavior were shame, anxiety, fear and lack of knowledge. Group dynamics improved the practical knowledge of students about sexual behavior, allowing them to make informed decisions. Conclusions: These innovative educational techniques should be expanded to other students.

Identificación y caracterización del adulto mayor saludable / A novel method for targeting and characterizing healthy older people

Background: There is no established definition of healthy aging in clinical practice, although it is a World Health Organization goal. Aim: To develop a clinical protocol to identify healthy older people living in the community and study their clinical, laboratory and functional characteristics. Material and Methods: Healthy people aged 60 years or older, were invited to participate in the study, by newspapers and radio, if they selfperceived as healthy, lived in the community, were functionally independent and had low disease burden. Potential participants were initially screened by telephone, and those who met the inclusion criteria were included. They had a comprehensive geriatric assessment which included clinical, anthropometric, laboratory and functional assessments. Results: Of 384 people who answered the call, 83 subjects aged 60 to 98 years (57 percent women) met the inclusion criteria of healthy older people. Seventy eight percent did not consume any medication, 100 percent were able to perform physical activities that required at least three metabolic equivalents (Mets). Basic laboratory showed that approximately 90 percent of subjects had normal values, using standard benchmarks established for an adult population. Conclusions: The protocol used in this work was able to identify healthy older people with low disease burden and good functionality. It also validated history and comprehensive geriatric assessment as reliable instruments to identify these subjects.