Reproductive health and student’s knowledge in two high schools

Abstract

Introduction: In order to sexual education can be considered such it is, it must follow a process of elaborating knowledge, since the held information to transform it, think about it, and question it.

Objective: To identify the level of knowledge regarding reproductive health in teenagers at two high school campuses, both private and public institutions in Veracruz State.

Methodology: Comparative, transversal study done with 194 adolescents. An instrument was elaborated, validated and surveyed to measure common, real situations that are experienced by these students, related to reproductive health. The explored areas were: prevention measurements, signs and symptoms recognition, and complications identification.

Results: The instrument obtained a reliable index of (0.89) when the Kuder Richardson’s formula was applied. Students were placed between the medium and low ranges of knowledge. Public school had supremacy over the private one (p<0.01). Female gender (0.001) and second semesters in the same grade (p<0.01) were outstanding in both campuses. The most remarkable aspects for the teenagers were the sexual transmitted diseases (p<0.001), identification of pregnancy complications (p<0.05) and the measures to prevent abortion (p<0.01) in both campuses.

Conclusions: Some considerations have been done regarding the educational process implemented in educational and health institutions, as well as the implications of “Educating to Prevention”.