Factores de riesgo relacionados con la salud sexual en los jóvenes europeos

En Europa, seguimos asistiendo a un aumento de la transmisión sexual del virus de la inmunodeficiencia humana (VIH) y otras infecciones de transmisión sexual (ITS). Para priorizar estrategias de salud sexual, resulta importante identificar los factores sexuales de riesgo presentes en los jóvenes europeos. Se realizó una revisión sistemática de artículos científicos y estudios de instituciones oficiales europeas. En total, fueron identificados 21 artículos y 10 estudios. Los datos sugieren un aumento de la iniciación sexual juvenil y del número de parejas sexuales. El 15-20% de los jóvenes usan de forma inconstante el preservativo. Entre los conocimientos y actitudes de riesgo detectadas encontramos: desconocer otras ITS distintas al VIH, tener una actitud favorable a las relaciones sexuales casuales, creer erróneamente que algunas medidas son eficaces para prevenir el VIH, desconocer los riesgos de tener múltiples parejas sexuales y desconocer la transmisión sexual del VIH. Los datos subrayan la necesidad de mejorar los mensajes transmitidos a los jóvenes

Evaluación de los estilos educativos parentales en una muestra de estudiantes filipinos: implicaciones educativas

Un cuerpo teórico importante de investigación sugiere que el estilo autoritativo de los padres se asocia con unas mejoras en diversos aspectos de ajuste psicosocial de los adolescentes. Este artículo desarrolla y analiza la tipología de los estilos educativos parentales en el contexto de jóvenes filipinos. A partir de una muestra de 3.601 estudiantes, se muestra que el estilo autoritativo se asocia con mayor autoestima, menor impulsividad, mayor intención de alcanzar metas positivas en el futuro, mejor rendimiento académico, menor prevalencia de experiencia sexual y mayor rechazo de diversas formas de sexismo

Spanish women’s attitudes towards post-fertilization effects of birth control methods

Objective: Some methods of family planning may occasionally work after fertilization or implantation. These effects may be important to some women. We explored Spanish women’s attitudes towards these potential mechanisms of action of family planning methods. Study design: Cross-sectional study in a Spanish representative sample of 848 potentially fertile women, aged 18-49. Data were collected using a 30-item questionnaire about family planning. Logistic regression was used to identify variables associated with women’s attitudes towards postfertilization effects. Results: The majority of women were married, held an academic degree and had at least one child. Forty-five percent of women would not consider using a method that may work after fertilization and 57% would not consider using one that may work after implantation. Forty-eight percent of the sample would stop using a method if they learned that it sometimes works after fertilization, increasing to 63% when referring to a method that sometimes works after implantation. Women who believe that human life begins at fertilization, those who believe it is important to distinguish between spontaneous and induced embryo losses and women who report having a religion were less likely to consider the use of a method with some postfertilization effects. Conclusion: The possibility of postfertilization effects may influence Spanish women’s choice of a FP method. Information about mechanisms of action of birth control methods should be disclosed to women so that they can make informed choices

First sexual intercourse and subsequent regret in three developing countries

Purpose: Adolescents who engage in sex can be affected by a range of negative physical and psychological consequences. We intend to analyze the reasons behind first sex, regret, and the association between reasons and regret. Methods: A questionnaire was implemented to 8495 high schools students, aged 14-18, in the Philippines, El Salvador and Peru. Sexually active participants responded whether several circumstances were reasons involved in their first sexual relationship. They also responded whether they regretted having already had sexual relationships. Results: More than a third of respondents reported at least one external pressure leading to first sex, and about half reported at least one reason implying getting carried away by sexual arousal. More females affirmed they regret having already had sex. Logistic regression shows that reasons for first sex associated with regret were partner insistence, "uncontrolled situations" and seeing sexual images. These reasons were associated with regret even when love was also reported as related to first sex. Conclusions: Adolescent sexual experience is often motivated by pressure and circumstances that lower the control over their decisions concerning sex, such as external pressure (because most friends already had sex or because of partner insistence) or getting carried away by sexual arousal (through an "uncontrolled situation" or viewing sexual images) rather than by mature decisions, and this may result in later regret. Adolescents should be helped by parents, educators and policy makers to be aware of these characteristics of adolescent sex and empowered to make assertive and informed decisions concerning their sexuality

Familia, amigos y otras fuentes de información asociadas al inicio de las relaciones sexuales en adolescentes de El Salvador

Objetivo. El objetivo de este estudio es comprobar cómo influyen en el inicio de la actividad sexual de los jóvenes salvadoreños los mensajes que reciben sobre cuestiones de sexualidad, afectividad y ocio a través de la familia, los amigos y los medios de comunicación. Métodos. Estudio transversal a partir de una muestra representativa de 2 615 estudiantes (de 13 a 19 años) de El Salvador. Se utilizó un muestreo sistemático aleatorio para seleccionar 30 colegios. Se recogieron aspectos sociodemográficos, estilos de vida y fuentes de información sobre sexualidad y amor utilizadas por los jóvenes. Resultados. La edad media de los jóvenes fue de 15 años (DE = 1,8). En total 638 (24,4%) jóvenes afirmaron haber tenido relaciones sexuales. Los siguientes factores se asociaron con una mayor probabilidad de haber tenido relaciones sexuales: percibir que los hermanos (OR = 1,8, IC 95%: 1,2–2,7) o los amigos (OR = 1,7, IC 95%: 1,3–2,2) apoyan que se tengan relaciones sexuales. Como factores protectores se encontraron la supervisión de los padres (OR = 0,5, IC 95%: 0,4–0,7); recibir mensajes que apoyan la abstinencia por parte de amigos (OR = 0,7, IC 95%: 0,6–1,0) o hermanos (OR = 0,7, IC 95%: 0,5–0,8) y recibir mensajes favorables al matrimonio por parte de los padres (OR = 0,4, IC 95%: 0,3–0,6). Conclusiones. Los mensajes de la familia y amigos son factores que parecen influir en el inicio de las relaciones sexuales de los jóvenes. Los programas de promoción de la salud sexual en El Salvador deberían tener en cuenta estos factores

Women's attitudes towards mechanisms of action of family planning methods: survey in primary health centres in Pamplona, Spain

Background: Informed consent in family planning includes knowledge of mechanism of action. Some methods of family planning occasionally work after fertilization. Knowing about postfertilization effects may be important to some women before choosing a certain family planning method. The objective of this survey is to explore women's attitudes towards postfertilization effects of family planning methods, and beliefs and characteristics possibly associated with those attitudes. Methods: Cross-sectional survey in a sample of 755 potentially fertile women, aged 18–49, from Primary Care Health Centres in Pamplona, Spain. Participants were given a 30-item, selfadministered, anonymous questionnaire about family planning methods and medical and surgical abortion. Logistic regression was used to identify variables associated with women's attitudes towards postfertilization effects. Results: The response rate was 80%. The majority of women were married, held an academic degree and had no children. Forty percent of women would not consider using a method that may work after fertilization but before implantation and 57% would not consider using one that may work after implantation. While 35.3% of the sample would stop using a method if they learned that it sometimes works after fertilization, this percentage increased to 56.3% when referring to a method that sometimes works after implantation. Women who believe that human life begins at fertilization and those who consider it is important to distinguish between natural and induced embryo loss were less likely to consider the use of a method with postfertilization effects. Conclusion: Information about potential postfertilization effects of family planning methods may influence women's acceptance and choice of a particular family planning method. Additional studies in other populations are necessary to evaluate whether these beliefs are important to those populations

Dietary patterns and difficulty conceiving: a nested case–control study

Objective: To investigate potential associations between dietary patterns (defined using factor analysis) and difficulty conceiving. Design: Case–control study nested in a Spanish cohort of university graduates (Seguimiento Universidad de Navarra [SUN] Project). Setting: Female university graduates all over Spain participating in the SUN Project. Patient(s): A total of 485 women, aged 20–45 years, reporting having presented with difficulty getting pregnant, and 1,669 age-matched controls who had at least one child. Intervention(s): None. Main Outcome Measure(s): Reported difficulty getting pregnant. Data were collected from baseline and follow-up questionnaires of the SUN Project. Results: Two dietary patterns were identified. They were labeled as “Mediterranean-type” and “Western-type” patterns. A lower risk of difficulty getting pregnant was apparent in the highest quartile of adherence to the Mediterranean-type pattern compared with the lowest quartile (odds ratio 0.56, 95% confidence interval 0.35–0.95). Greater adherence to the Western-type dietary pattern showed no association with this outcome. Conclusion: A greater adherence to the Mediterranean-type dietary pattern may enhance fertility. Further evidence about the relationship between this dietary pattern and fertility is needed to develop nutritional interventions for women desiring to get pregnant

Connections between family assets and positive youth development: the association between parental monitoring and affection with leisure-time activities and substance use

This study aimed to determine the associations between parental monitoring and affection and three adolescent lifestyle aspects: constructive leisure, non-constructive leisure and substance use. A cross-sectional study was conducted in four countries (Chile, Mexico, Spain and Peru). Adolescents aged 12¿15 self-completed a multi-purpose questionnaire. Multiple logistic regressions were performed to analyse the association between the parental monitoring and affection variables and the outcomes in terms of the children¿s lifestyles. The results indicate that parental monitoring is conducive to more constructive leisure and less non-constructive leisure and seems to be conducive to the prevention of substance use. Furthermore, parental affection is conducive to constructive leisure and the prevention of substance use. The discussion focuses on the fact that the family can be a protective resource associated with positive adolescent development

Safe-sex belief and sexual risk behaviours among adolescents from three developing countries: a cross-sectional study

Abstract Objectives: This study intends to evaluate whether the belief that condoms are 100% effective in protecting against HIV infection is associated with sexual risk behaviours among youth. Methods: A cross-sectional study was performed in representative samples of high-school students in the Philippines, El Salvador and Peru. Participants completed a self-administered questionnaire. Students were asked about the risk of HIV transmission if one has sex using condoms. They were also asked to indicate whether they had ever had sexual relations and whether they used a condom in their first sexual relation. The sample was composed of 8994 students, aged 13–18. Results: One out of seven adolescents believed condoms are 100% effective (safe-sex believers). Those adolescents were 82% more likely to have had sex than those without such belief, after adjusting for confounders (OR=1.82; 95% CI 1.51 to 2.21). On the contrary, no association was found between risk perception and condom use. Subgroup and sensitivity analyses produced similar results. Conclusions: This is, to the best of our knowledge, the first study conducted specifically to evaluate this phenomenon and that has used the same questionnaire and the same data collection protocol in three different developing countries from Asia, Central and South America. These results reasonably suggest that there could be an association between safe sex beliefs and sexual initiation. Longitudinal studies are needed to better understand this possible association as it could influence how to better promote sexual health