title: [Adolescents' knowledge and behavior on sexuality, infectious transmitted diseases, and human papillomavirus vaccination: results of a survey in a French high school].
abstract: Teenager sexuality is a public health issue. In teenagers attending a high school, we assessed their knowledge and behavior on sexuality, infectious transmitted diseases, human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccination, and cervical cancer. Then in girls, we estimated the anti-HPV vaccination coverage and focused on factors associated with poor knowledge of these topics.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a knowledge, attitudes, and practices cross-sectional study conducted at the beginning of the 2010-2011 school year in the Saint-Cyr military high school, using an anonymous self-administered questionnaire.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among 669 adolescents (M/F sex-ratio, 2.3; mean age, 17 years [IC 95%, 15-20]), 40% had already had sex and 92% had used contraception. Boys and girls had a poor level of knowledge on infectious transmitted diseases. Regarding knowledge on HPV and cervical cancer, a better level was significantly associated with female gender (P=10(-4)). In multivariate analysis, male gender, age under 18 years, lack of dialogue with parents on these subjects, low socioeconomic status of parents, and absence of health education were significantly associated with poor knowledge on these topics.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These data should help healthcare providers better target access and content of sexual health education training.
authors.affiliation: Service de maternité-pédiatrie, hôpital d'instruction des armées Bégin, 69, avenue de Paris, 94163 Saint-Mandé cedex, France.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Grondin
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Duron
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Robin
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Verret
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Imbert
mesh_terms: D022126:Access to Information; D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior; D000367:Age Factors; D001294:Attitude to Health; D019496:Cancer Vaccines; D003142:Communication; D003267:Contraception / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D006266:Health Education; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D053918:Papillomavirus Vaccines; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D010290:Parents / Q000193:education; D057566:Self Report; D012736:Sex Education; D012737:Sex Factors; D012725:Sexual Behavior / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D019529:Sexuality / Q000523:psychology*; D012749:Sexually Transmitted Diseases / Q000523:psychology / Q000635:transmission*; D012923:Social Class; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000517:prevention & control; D014611:Vaccination; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D019496:Cancer Vaccines; D053918:Papillomavirus Vaccines