• sexual health
• reproductive health
• female adolescents
• Brazil

The recognition of adolescence as an essential formative stage of life has implications for programming content and approaches.¹ Young people have to be treated as people in their own right, and their individual needs considered on a case to case basis. The realisation that this is a time of significant opportunities and risks highlights the urgency to deal directly with sensitive topics such as sex and drugs.²

The aim of this study was to identify demographic, behavioural and clinical factors for STI and unplanned pregnancy among female adolescents assisted by the family health programme (PSF) of Vitória Municipality in Brazil. A cross sectional study was performed among female adolescents (15–19 years old) assisted by the PSF. Participants were screened for Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae using ligase chain reaction (LCR) applied to urine and answered a face to face questionnaire. Standard descriptive statistical analysis was performed. Prevalence rates were calculated to reflect the relative frequency of each disease, with corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CI). The national school of public health (FIOCRUZ) ethics committee approved this study. Written, informed consent was obtained by all participants and their parents.

The study included 149 adolescents. Mean age was 17.2 (SD 1.5) years; mean education was 8.3 (SD 2.9) years of schooling, and the mean age of the first sexual intercourse was 15.4 (SD 1.6) years. Seventy per cent of adolescents have already had sexual intercourse. Among those the prevalence rate of CT was 11.4% (95% CI 7.6 to 14), 4.0% (95% CI 2.1 to 5.2) of GC. Behaviour and clinical data are reported in table 1. There was statistical significance between chlamydia infection and previous STI (OR = 20.1, 95% CI: 5.9 to 67.9); gonorrhoea and no condom use (OR = 1.2, 95% CI: 1.06 to 1.12); and gonorrhoea and alcohol abuse (OR = 1.3, 95% CI: 1.1 to 2.1). Clinical problems identified were genital ulcer 6.0%, dysuria 15.4%, inguinal lymphadenopathy 12.1%, vaginal bleeding 3.4%, and pelvic pain 5.4%.

STIs deserve attention not only because of their high prevalence but also because they frequently go undetected and untreated, and often result in serious sequelae and association with HIV infection.³ High prevalence rates associated with high frequency of risk were observed in this ongoing study. These two factors identify female adolescents as an important group to reach with STI including HIV prevention efforts.

These data are descriptive and need to be completed but they are in agreement with the last research about Brazilian sexuality. It was reported that adolescents have their first intercourse earlier than the older generation and the knowledge about STI/AIDS does not modify the exposition.⁴ Eighteen per cent of adolescents in Brazil become pregnant at least once and 54.1% among the married ones use some method of contraception.⁵ The preliminary results suggest that humane, healthcare based, STI/HIV prevention services in the health family programme can be an acceptable intervention, as well as one that is highly targeted epidemiologically. Screening, treatment and prevention counselling, and support in communities should be considered and evaluated as a core component of STI/HIV prevention efforts in many or most places where STIs are public health problems.