Adolescent sexuality

Abstract

Introduction: During adolescence men and women face physiological, social and psychological changes that involve the need of questioning them to shape their biopsychosocial identity and their responsibility on the practice thereof.

Objective: To describe the definition of sexuality by gender among adolescents.

Methods: Cross-sectional analytical study, 296 surveys answered by female and male high school adolescents (from 12 to 15 years of age) were analyzed. The sample size was calculated with the percentages formula for finite population with hypothesis ; 70% of high school teens define sex as the act of intercourse. We used a confidence level of 95% a z = 1.64. The sample units were selected for convenience. Study variables: sociodemographic, definition of sexuality, biological, psychological, social and cultural aspects. Statistical analysis plan: percentages, confidence intervals at 95% and J2.

Results: 54.5% of women define sexuality as the way people have to interact with each other: it includes affection, feelings, emotions, physical contact (p = 0.0001), 41.8% defined it as sex (intercourse), 40.8 % of men like sex (intercourse) and 39.2% as gender difference (male or female by phenotypic characteristics).

Conclusions: The definition of adolescent women and men differ as the sociocultural elements about the body and sexuality establish a kind of sexuality for women and another for men, so that integration of care and responsibility over their bodies and sexuality become distant points with different consequences for each.