The impact of sex education on HIV knowledge and condom use among adolescent females in the Dominican Republic.

UNLABELLED: The Dominican Republic has witnessed a significant increase of HIV/AIDS in recent years, particularly among young women. Prior research suggested that sex education could be an effective tool in combating risky sexual behaviors in adolescents; yet, most of this research has been conducted with Caucasian study populations, resulting in limited generalizability to Latino populations. The present study sought to address this gap by examining the effects of sex education on HIV/AIDS knowledge and condom use among young women in the Dominican Republic. METHODS: Data were analyzed from 1,608 female adolescent and young adult respondents to the ENJOVEN survey. Logistic regression models were used to investigate the relation between exposure to sex education and HIV/AIDS knowledge, current and consistent condom use. RESULTS: Respondents who reported receiving sex education were 1.72 times more likely to have high HIV/AIDS knowledge than respondents who reported not receiving sex education (CI: 1.36-2.18, p = .000). Respondents who reported receiving sex education were 2.52 times more likely to report currently using condoms than respondents who reported not receiving sex education (CI: 1.65-3.85, p = .000). CONCLUSION: The results provide additional evidence that sex education programs are effective at increasing HIV/AIDS knowledge and condom use in young Dominican women.

Response rates for providing a blood specimen for HIV testing in a population-based survey of young adults in Zimbabwe.

BACKGROUND: To determine differences among persons who provided blood specimens for HIV testing compared with those who did not among those interviewed for the population-based Zimbabwe Young Adult Survey (YAS). METHODS: Chi-square analysis of weighted data to compare demographic and behavioral data of persons interviewed who provided specimens for anonymous testing with those who did not. Prevalence estimation to determine the impact if persons not providing specimens had higher prevalence rates than those who did. RESULTS: Comparing those who provided specimens with those who did not, there was no significant difference by age, residence, education, marital status, perceived risk, sexual experience or number of sex partners for women. A significant difference by sexual experience was found for men. Prevalence estimates did not change substantially when prevalence was assumed to be two times higher for persons not providing specimens. CONCLUSION: When comparing persons who provided specimens for HIV testing with those who did not, few significant differences were found. If those who did not provide specimens had prevalence rates twice that of those who did, overall prevalence would not be substantially affected. Refusal to provide blood specimens does not appear to have contributed to an underestimation of HIV prevalence.

Differences between mistimed and unwanted pregnancies among women who have live births.

CONTEXT: Mistimed and unwanted pregnancies that result in live births are commonly considered together as unintended pregnancies, but they may have different precursors and outcomes. METHODS: Data from 15 states participating in the 1998 Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System were used to calculate the prevalence of intended, mistimed and unwanted conceptions, by selected variables. Associations between unintendedness and women's behaviors and experiences before, during and after the pregnancy were assessed through unadjusted relative risks. RESULTS: The distribution of intended, mistimed and unwanted pregnancies differed on nearly every variable examined; risky behaviors and adverse experiences were more common among women with mistimed than intended pregnancies and were most common among those whose pregnancies were unwanted. The likelihood of having an unwanted rather than mistimed pregnancy was elevated for women 35 or older (relative risk, 2.3) and was reduced for those younger than 25 (0.8); the pattern was reversed for the likelihood of mistimed rather than intended pregnancy (0.5 vs. 1.7-2.7). Parous women had an increased risk of an unwanted pregnancy (2.1-4.0) but a decreased risk of a mistimed one (0.9). Women who smoked in the third trimester, received delayed or no prenatal care, did not breast-feed, were physically abused during pregnancy, said their partner had not wanted a pregnancy or had a low-birth-weight infant had an increased risk of unintended pregnancy; the size of the increase depended on whether the pregnancy was unwanted or mistimed. CONCLUSION: Clarifying the difference in risk between mistimed and unwanted pregnancies may help guide decisions regarding services to women and infants.

Encuesta de salud reproductiva en adultos jóvenes del Gran Santiago / Survey of reproductive health in young adults in Greater Santiago

En 1988, se realizó una encuesta para recabar información de los conocimientos sobre reproducción, actividad sexual, actitudes y uso de métodos anticonceptivos de residentes entre 15 y 24 años de edad del Gran Santiago. Para ello, se seleccionó una muestra probabilística, polietápica, autoponderada y sin reposición de toda el área urbana de Santiago. Después de visitar 2 898 viviendas, se seleccionaron y entrevistaron 865 mujeres y 800 hombres. Para realizar la entrevista, se elaboró un cuestionario con 156 preguntas, muchas de ellas semejantes a las incluidas en encuestas similares realizadas en el Brasil y Guatemala. Los encuestadores eran profesionales y fueron previamente capacitados. Aunque 75 por ciento de los entrevistados habían asistido a clase de educación sexual, tenían ideas erróneas sobre diversos temas básicos. El 69 por ciento de las mujeres habían tenido la menarquía antes de asistir a dichas clases. El 35,4 por ciento de las mujeres y 65 por ciento de los hombres tuvieron relaciones sexuales premaritales y menos de 20 por ciento habían usado métodos anticonceptivos. Más de 60 por ciento de los entrevistados que tenían hijos los habían concebido antes de contraer matrimonio. Esta realidad plantea la urgente necesidad de ofrecer clases de educación sexual a niños y jovenes, así como de facilitarles el acceso a los servicios de planificación familiar, con objeto de disminuir el número de hijos ilegítimos y no deseados que nacen en Chile

Encuesta de salud reproductiva en adultos jóvenes del Gran Santiago / Survey of reproductive health in young adults in Greater Santiago

En 1988, se realizó una encuesta para recabar información de los conocimientos sobre reproducción, actividad sexual, actitudes y uso de métodos anticonceptivos de residentes entre 15 y 24 años de edad del Gran Santiago. Para ello, se seleccionó una muestra probabilística, polietápica, autoponderada y sin reposición de toda el área urbana de Santiago. Después de visitar 2 898 viviendas, se seleccionaron y entrevistaron 865 mujeres y 800 hombres. Para realizar la entrevista, se elaboró un cuestionario con 156 preguntas, muchas de ellas semejantes a las incluidas en encuestas similares realizadas en el Brasil y Guatemala. Los encuestadores eran profesionales y fueron previamente capacitados. Aunque 75 por ciento de los entrevistados habían asistido a clase de educación sexual, tenían ideas erróneas sobre diversos temas básicos. El 69 por ciento de las mujeres habían tenido la menarquía antes de asistir a dichas clases. El 35,4 por ciento de las mujeres y 65 por ciento de los hombres tuvieron relaciones sexuales premaritales y menos de 20 por ciento habían usado métodos anticonceptivos. Más de 60 por ciento de los entrevistados que tenían hijos los habían concebido antes de contraer matrimonio. Esta realidad plantea la urgente necesidad de ofrecer clases de educación sexual a niños y jovenes, así como de facilitarles el acceso a los servicios de planificación familiar, con objeto de disminuir el número de hijos ilegítimos y no deseados que nacen en Chile

Survey of reproductive health in young adults, Great Santiago, 1988

This article reports the results of an interview survey with 1,665 residents of Metropolitan Santiago 15-24 years old. The survey, which dealt with various aspects of reproductive health, indicated that the sex education received by 75 percent of the subjects generally failed to convey an accurate knowledge of the basic concepts of sexuality; that use of contraceptive methods was very limited; that approximately 25 percent of the 865 women interviewed had been pregnant at some time; and that 40 percent of all the pregnancies were unplanned. These findings demonstrate a need to begin effective sex education programs and to provide adolescent services commensurate with the circunstances of modern life

Survey of reproductive health in young adults, Great Santiago, 1988

This article reports the results of an interview survey with 1,665 residents of Metropolitan Santiago 15-24 years old. The survey, which dealt with various aspects of reproductive health, indicated that the sex education received by 75 percent of the subjects generally failed to convey an accurate knowledge of the basic concepts of sexuality; that use of contraceptive methods was very limited; that approximately 25 percent of the 865 women interviewed had been pregnant at some time; and that 40 percent of all the pregnancies were unplanned. These findings demonstrate a need to begin effective sex education programs and to provide adolescent services commensurate with the circunstances of modern life

Encuesta de salud reproductiva en adultos jóvenes / Reproductive health surveys in young adults

Encuesta sobre salud reproductiva en adultos jóvenes, realizada en el Gran Santiago (1988), a fin de obtener información sobre actitudes y conocimientos de educación sexual, actividad sexual, métodos anticonceptivos (MAC), SIDA, actividad sexual premarital y uso de MAC entre jóvenes, además de la historia reproductiva de las mujeres de la muestra. La encuesta se basó en muestras independientes, probabilísticas y autoponderadas de viviendas, a fin de identificar mujeres (M) y hombres (H), residentes habituales en ellas. El 35,4% de las M y el 65,0% de H reportó coito premarital, con frecuencias crecientes al aumentar la edad de los jóvenes. Ambos sexos tuvieron como primer compañero sexual a alguien mayor, siendo este mayoritariamente el pololo y amigas y pololas, respectivamente. El uso de MAC en el primer coito fue inferior a 20,0% en ambos sexos, siendo el ritmo y la píldora los métodos más usados. En general, se advierte que las razones de no uso de anticonceptivos están asociadas a falta de información en materias sexuales. Aproximadamente el 25,0% de las jóvenes ha estado alguna vez embarazada. El 69,7% de los embarazos fue concebido premaritalmente y el 40,0% del total fue un embarazo no deseado. Estos hallazgos muestran la necesidad de poner en marcha programas de educación sexual para niños y jóvenes y servicios de planificación familiar a fin de prevenir los embarazos no deseados y la ilegitimidad

Survey of reproductive health in young adults, Great Santiago, 1988

This article reports the results of an interview survey with 1,665 residents of Metropolitan Santiago 15-24 years old. The survey, which dealt with various aspects of reproductive health, indicated that the sex education received by 75 percent of the subjects generally failed to convey an accurate knowledge of the basic concepts of sexuality; that use of contraceptive methods was very limited; that approximately 25 percent of the 865 women interviewed had been pregnant at some time; and that 40 percent of all the pregnancies were unplanned. These findings demonstrate a need to begin effective sex education programs and to provide adolescent services commensurate with the circunstances of modern life

Published in Spanish in Bol. Oficina Sanit. Panam 112(1), 1992