[Sex knowledge and behavior in male high school students]

Abstract

Introduction: Adolescent sexual activity has increased in the last 30 years. Nowadays approximately 73% of male adolescent had sexual intercourse by the age of 18. Practice is not always followed by adequate knowledge and behavior. Therefore, it is of utmost importance to have appropriate education on sexual life and contraception in order to prevent unwanted pregnancies, abortions and spreading of sexually transmitted diseases.

Material and methods: Sexual behavior and knowledge was surveyed in a high school in Novi Sad among 520 male students, aged 15-19, in order to prepare lectures on sexual topics.

Results: Most information male teenagers got from different forms of mass-media (63.65%) and through communication with friends (50.58%). The communication with parents (5%) and experts (1%) is poor. According to their opinion, 69% have enough knowledge about sexuality and 62% about contraception, but 75.77% want further education from experts. 90% participated in some kind of sexual activity by the age of 18, and 84.3% had sexual intercourse for the first time at the age of 15.55 years, on average. artificial abortion occurred only in one case of pregnancy. Almost all young men knew about AIDS. The most common known means of contraception was condom (90%) and 70% consider it as the best method. 90% of male students consider abortion harmful, because it can cause infertility (51.38%).

Discussion: Most knowledge on sex life and contraception male adolescents gain from magazines, TV and friends, which can not be accepted as appropriate and undoubtedly can be incorrect and inadequate. Communication with parents and teachers is poor. Male adolescents are aware of their need for more education on these subjects and they want it from experts.

Conclusion: Young men are not educated about sexual life and contraception well enough. Proper sexual education among adolescents is of great importance for psychic and reproductive health of young people.