Attitudes and Knowledge of Students on Sexuality in Three Secondary Schools

Abstract

Introduction. Sexuality of children and adolescents in Croatia is still considered a taboo, and sexually transmitted diseases are a significant global public health problem that is constantly growing. As a frequent consequence of irresponsible sexual behaviour and early sexual intercourse, we are faced with the problem of juvenile, most often unwanted, pregnancy. Contraceptives are used to prevent sexually transmitted diseases and unwanted pregnancies, and the most vulnerable group are the adolescents. The primary task is to educate the youth prior to them entering active sexual life. Aim. To collect and analyse data on sexual habits, attitudes and knowledge of adolescents. To assess the need for additional education and preventive programmes. Methods. 130 high school students, aged 17-19, participated in the survey. For testing purposes, a questionnaire was used. The questionnaire was conducted voluntarily and was completely anonymous, and a written consent was obtained from parents of juvenile participants. Results. The adolescent subjects in this study showed insufficient knowledge of sexuality, namely the menstrual cycle, contraceptives and emergency contraception, and sexually transmitted diseases. They showed knowledge of things they could get acquainted with on a daily basis through the media and other information outlets. Conclusion. According to the results obtained by the research, we can conclude that higher quality education of the youth is necessary, with the aim of expanding their knowledge of sexuality in order to prevent sexually transmitted diseases and the occurrence of unwanted juvenile pregnancies.

Navike, znanje i stavovi o spolnosti adolescenata Brodsko-posavske županije

“…Iako je nekoliko studija otkrilo da viši nivoi znanja ne sprječavaju nužno mlade ljude u rizičnom seksualnom ponašanju, unatoč tome, dobro znanje pruža osnovu mladim ljudima da donose utemeljene odluke povezane sa svojim seksualnim životom (posebno prije nego što postanu seksualno aktivni), a tako i reproduktivnim i općim zdravljem u cjelini. 32,33,34 Zaključci Ovim istraživanjem utvrđeno je:…”

Changes in sexually transmitted infections-related sexual risk-taking among young Croatian adults: a 2005-2021 three-wave population-based study

“…At the same time, more than 80% of participants from both study waves believed that they were at low or no risk of contracting STI. More recently, poor knowledge of risks to sexual and reproductive health was reported among Croatian senior high-school students ( 26 ), as well as a high prevalence of human papillomavirus among young women ( 27 ). This hardly comes as a surprise due to the absence of school-based sexual education in the country – which remains a highly politicized issue – and the lack of organized national-level prevention efforts to reduce sexual risks ( 28 - 30 ).…”