Sexual and reproductive health of adolescents in Belgium, the Czech Republic, Estonia and Portugal
Fronteira, Iês.; Oliveira da Silva, M.; Unzeitig, V.; Karro, H.; Temmerman, M.
European Journal of Contraception and Reproductive Health Care the Official Journal of the European Society of Contraception 14(3): 215-220
2009
ISSN/ISBN: 1362-5187 PMID: 19565419 DOI: 10.1080/13625180902894524Document Number: 207768
This pilot study, within the REPROSTAT 2 Project, aimed at investigating the sexual and reproductive health (SRH) of school-based youths in four countries of the European Union. Students of either sex, aged between 16 and 19 years and entering grade 10, 11 or 12 during the 2005-2006 school year participated in a cross sectional survey. A structured questionnaire was administered to a convenience sample of students from selected schools in Belgium, the Czech Republic, Estonia and Portugal. In each country, more than three quarters of respondents had previously had a boyfriend or girlfriend and almost half had heterosexual intercourse. More than 85% of sexually experienced youths in each country had used contraception at coital debut. Mean age at coital debut varied between 15.2 (Belgium) and 16.4 years (Czech Republic). While 51% of respondents in Estonia knew of Chlamydia trachomatis infection, the corresponding figure in Portugal was only 12%. Sexual activity is common among school-going youths in all four countries. This highlights the need for Member States to systematically collect indicators of SRH in this population. Use of a common measurement framework can inform the establishment of common targets for joint initiatives such as reducing teenage pregnancy and STIs in adolescents.