Social-hygienic characteristics of adolescent girls and assessment of their reproductive behavior
Grebesheva, I.I.; El'tsova-Strelkova, V.M.; Gulevskaia, R.M.
Sovetskoe Zdravookhranenie 5: 31-34
1990
ISSN/ISBN: 0038-5239 PMID: 2374951 Document Number: 379285
A questionnaire consisting of 78 items on living conditions, social- psychological climate of the family, desires, knowledge about sexuality, and access to gynecological assistance was administered to 445 adolescent girls aged 15-18. The investigation was carried out in Moscow schools. 25.8% of the subjects, mostly those attending vocational schools (39.2% vs. 12.5% of technical school students), lived in incomplete families. 58% of their mothers were employees and 37.5% were workers; the equivalent percentages for fathers were 55.4% and 33.3%, respectively. Only 26.7% of parents did not consume alcoholic drinks. Systematic use of alcohol involved 11.2% of the fathers and .7% of the mothers. 98.2% of the adolescents expressed their desire to have children in the future, .7% did not respond to this question, and 1.1% did not have such a wish. 25.8% of respondents already had experienced sexual contact: 66% at age 15-16, 20.9% at age 17, 9.6% before age 15, and only 3.5% after reaching 18 years of age. When asked their reasons for this behavior, 50.4% indicated love, 22% chance, 8.7% curiosity and sexual attraction, 7% violence, and 3.4% other reasons. 30.4% of those in sexual relationships did not use contraceptives despite fear of unwanted pregnancy. Among those who used contraception, 42.6% employed coitus interruptus, 34% used the calendar method, and 26% used condoms. 26% of the subjects had several partners, 62% had constant partners, and 12% reported occasional sexual encounters. 15% of those who were sexually active had had an abortion usually at age 17-18. 33.5 of girls who had no sexual encounters did not know about contraceptives to prevent pregnancy. 60% of the girls knew about the condom as a result of an AIDS prevention campaign, 28.7% knew about the IUD, and 10.5% were familiar with the calendar method. 70% stated that they had questions about sex and contraception that a gynecologist could answer, but only 2% consulted a physician, mainly because of not knowing how to approach the doctor (33.2%) and because of shyness (24.7%).