TY - JOUR
T1 - Sexual and reproductive health of adolescents in Belgium, the Czech Republic, Estonia and Portugal
AU - Fronteira, Ins
AU - Oliveira Da Silva, Miguel
AU - Unzeitig, Vit
AU - Karro, Helle
AU - Temmerman, Marleen
N1 - Funding Information:
The pilot study was part of the project REPRO-STAT 2 – Assessing the usefulness of a comprehensive set of reproductive health indicators designed for the enlarged European Union, with particular emphasis on the reproductive health of adolescents and young adults (Phase 2) funded in 2003 by the European Union with grant agreement 2003230 (790888).
PY - 2009
Y1 - 2009
N2 - Objectives: 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. Methods: Students of either sex, aged between 16 and 19 years and entering grade 10, 11 or 12 during the 20052006 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. Results: 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. Conclusions: 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.
AB - Objectives: 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. Methods: Students of either sex, aged between 16 and 19 years and entering grade 10, 11 or 12 during the 20052006 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. Results: 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. Conclusions: 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.
KW - Adolescents
KW - Chlamydia
KW - Sexual and reproductive health
KW - Sexual behaviour
KW - Young people
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=70349780855&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/13625180902894524
DO - 10.1080/13625180902894524
M3 - Article
C2 - 19565419
AN - SCOPUS:70349780855
SN - 1362-5187
VL - 14
SP - 215
EP - 220
JO - European Journal of Contraception and Reproductive Health Care
JF - European Journal of Contraception and Reproductive Health Care
IS - 3
ER -