[The reproductive characteristics of adolescents and young adults in Mexico City]. / Características reproductivas de adolescentes y jóvenes en la Ciudad de México.

This article presents the preliminary findings of the Survey on Teenagers and Youth Reproductive Behavior in the Metropolitan Area of Mexico City, which contains information on 1,010 teenagers and young adults from 10 to 25 years of age interviewed in 1987. The average age was 17 years; 51.7 per cent of those interviewed were male and 48.3 per cent were female. A total of 14.6 per cent were married, being the average age at marriage 19.2 years for males and 17.8 years for females. Menarche occurred at an average age of 12.4 years, and spermarche at 14. Of those interviewed, 32.7 per cent have had sexual intercourse at least once in their lives. The average age at which sexual activity had begun, in the case of males, was 16 years and for females, 17 years. Of this group, 33.8 per cent stated that they had used some form of contraception during the first sexual intercourse; the contraceptive methods used most often were rhythm and withdrawal. The main source of supply of other methods is the pharmacy, in 67 per cent. 18.4 per cent of women had been pregnant, and 20.4 per cent of men's partners had presented this same condition. The first pregnancy occurred at 17.8 years for women and 18.7 for men. Of those men and women with a pregnancy experience 66.1 per cent and 57.3 per cent, respectively, stated that their first pregnancy was an unplanned one. Also, first pregnancy was related to their first marriage in 48.1 per cent of women and 82.4 per cent of male. The data presented here will reinforce current knowledge and will enable us to obtain a profile of the reproductive behavior of teenagers and young adults in the metropolitan area of Mexico City.

[Contraceptive practices among adolescents and youths of the metropolitan area of Mexico City]. / Práctica anticonceptiva en adolescentes y jóvenes del área metropolitana de la Ciudad de México.

The purpose of this article is to provide a brief description of the information that the adolescent and youth population of Mexico City has concerning the knowledge and use of contraceptive methods, as well as the reasons why they do not adopt some contraceptive method during their sexual relations. The data obtained from the Survey on Adolescent and Youth Reproductive Behavior in the Metropolitan Area of Mexico City serves as a basis for pointing out several behavior patterns of the male and female population from 10 to 25 years of age. Of those interviewed, 32.7 per cent had had at least one sexual contact; the average age at which sexual relations had begun was 16 years for males and 17 for females. A total of 33.8 per cent of those who had had sexual contact stated that they had used some form of contraception, the principal methods used during first sexual intercourse being rhythm (36.9%); withdrawal (23.6%), and condoms (12.3%). The reasons for not using any contraceptive method were as follows: lack of knowledge regarding the methods, how to use them or where to obtain them (39.4%), and unplanned sexual intercourse (28.9%). During the last sexual contact they had, 70.5 per cent had used a contraceptive. The methods most frequently used were hormonal contraceptives and IUD (40.9%); rhythm (23.8%), and withdrawal and condoms. The reasons why no contraceptive was used in the last sexual contact were: neither partner thought that pregnancy would occur (27.1%) and the sexual contact was unplanned.