Differences by Gender in Adolescent Sexuality: Implications for Health Education and Prevention in Portugal.Differences by Gender in Adolescent Sexuality: Implications for Health Education and Prevention in Portugal, Sonia F. Dias, Margarida G. Matos, and Aldina C. Goncalves, Universidade Nova de Lisbon, Portugal We assessed the relationship between psychosocial psychosocial /psy·cho·so·cial/ (si?ko-so´shul) pertaining to or involving both psychic and social aspects. psy·cho·so·cial adj. Involving aspects of both social and psychological behavior. and ecological variables and adolescents' sexual behavior sexual behavior A person's sexual practices–ie, whether he/she engages in heterosexual or homosexual activity. See Sex life, Sexual life. , taking gender into account. This research was also designed to understand the cognitive and emotional bases of the sexual decisions made by Portuguese adolescents. The study utilized mixed quantitative-qualitative methods, collecting data through self-administered questionnaires from the Portuguese sample of the Health Behaviors in School-Aged Children (HBSC HBSc Honours Bachelor of Science (degree) HBSC Hermosa Beach Soccer Club (Los Angeles, CA) ), a collaborative WHO study. In 2002, 6,131 Portuguese adolescents were randomly chosen from those attending high school. In addition, 14 focus group were conducted, a purposeful sample of 42 girls and 42 boys from seven secondary schools. A substantial minority of young people engaged in high-risk practices. Boys were more likely than females to report ever having had sexual intercourse sexual intercourse or coitus or copulation Act in which the male reproductive organ enters the female reproductive tract (see reproductive system). . From the total sample, 7% reported that they or their partner didn't use a condom 1. condom - The protective plastic bag that accompanies 3.5-inch microfloppy diskettes. Rarely, also used of (paper) disk envelopes. Unlike the write protect tab, the condom (when left on) not only impedes the practice of SEX but has also been shown to have a high failure last time they engaged in sexual intercourse. A logistic regression In statistics, logistic regression is a regression model for binomially distributed response/dependent variables. It is useful for modeling the probability of an event occurring as a function of other factors. model identified several associations among demographic and psychosocial variables for not using condoms during sexual intercourse. The focus group showed gender differences in factors associated with sexual behavior. The social control of sexuality and gender relations are complex phenomena deeply enmeshed en·mesh also im·mesh tr.v. en·meshed, en·mesh·ing, en·mesh·es To entangle, involve, or catch in or as if in a mesh. See Synonyms at catch. in culturally specific ways of making meaning. The perceptions of societal double standard in sex are still in teenage culture and may influence behavior. These adolescents viewed sexual behavior, sexual partners, and condom use as elements within a complex script that governs heterosexual interactions. These findings have important implications toward implementation of a comprehensive program on sexual education in Portuguese secondary schools that is culturally sensitive and gender-specific. |
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