title: Sexual health knowledge in a vulnerable population: a survey of adolescents in the bateyes of La Romana, Dominican Republic.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Undocumented Haitian migrants to the Dominican Republic often live in impoverished communities called bateyes. These contexts present challenges for adolescent sexual health education. To inform development of appropriate adolescent education programs, this study assessed their general sexual health knowledge.
  
  
  METHODS
  A locally developed sexual health knowledge survey was administered to 930 grade 7-12 adolescents attending six batey schools. Analysis of aggregated responses reviewed general demographics (e.g. age and sex), and identified top community sexual health concerns and most trusted information sources.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Top concerns included menstruation (25.5%), HIV (21.8%), and family planning (13.3%); stratification by sex identified discordance around menstruation (89.2% female, 10.8% male) and HIV (67.1% male, 32.9% female), but not family planning (47.2% male, 52.8% female). Parents were identified as the most trusted information source, irrespective of concern.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Community concerns around menstruation matches extant developing-world literature that links menarche with female stigma and school absence. Interest in HIV and family planning suggests targeted promoted efforts would be of benefit. Trust in parents is reflective of cultural traditions and suggests potential knowledge impacts arising from effective parental education.
authors.affiliation: .
authors.forename: Christopher
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4181-1868
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Russell
authors.affiliation: .
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Martinez
authors.affiliation: .
authors.forename: Brendan
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.affiliation: , Hamilton, Ontario, Canada; and.
authors.forename: Julianne
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zandberg
authors.affiliation: .
authors.forename: Henry
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: The 53rd Week.
authors.forename: Jazmin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Marlinga
authors.affiliation: The 53rd Week.
authors.forename: Lawrence
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Loh
keywords: adolescent; needs assessment; sexual health