[Beliefs, attitudes and knowledge about sex education].
BACKGROUND
Previous reports show that Chilean teenagers have an inadequate knowledge about sexuality and reproduction.


OBJECTIVE
To compare the knowledge about sexuality among adolescents coming from private and public schools, with and without sexual education programs.


METHODS
A structured anonymous inquiry, containing multiple choice and open questions, was applied to a sample of 229 adolescents attending seventh and eighth grade of junior school, in private and public schools of Temuco, Chile.


RESULTS
Eleven percent of adolescents had already their first sexual intercourse at a mean age of 12.2 +/- 2.4 years old. Of these, 96% came from public schools. An overall analysis of tests, disclosed a 53% of correct answers to the inquiry. Adolescents coming from private schools had a better performance than those coming from public schools. Sexual attitudes were not influenced by sexual education programs.


CONCLUSIONS
Adolescents coming from private schools have a better sexual knowledge level and more conservative attitudes towards sexuality. Overall knowledge is inadequate albeit overvalued. These teenagers are high risk group for unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases and require efficient sexual education programs.
Fernández
L
L
Departamento de Pediatría y Cirugía Infantil, Universidad de la Frontera, Temuco, Chile. rcelis@ufro.cl
Bustos
L
L
González
L
L
Palma
D
D
Villagrán
J
J
Muñoz
S
S
D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002677:Chile; D003075:Coitus; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015397:Program Evaluation; D012574:Schools; D012731:Sex Counseling; D012736:Sex Education; D019529:Sexuality / Q000523:psychology*; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors