RNQualitativeRevista brasileira de enfermagem2025

Adolescent males' knowledge about safe sex in light of the Sustainable Development Goals.

Wallacy Jhon Silva Araújo, Danielle Laet Silva Galvão, Dayanne Caroline de Assis Silva and 4 others

PMID 40561354

WHAT IT FOUND

Male adolescents linked safe sex almost exclusively to condom use and misunderstood the morning-after pill as STI prevention.

They reported family silence due to taboos, viewing school as the only reliable space for education, though access often came after sexual initiation.

Key findings

01Participants' understanding of safe sex was limited to condom use, and they mistakenly believed the morning-after pill prevented STIs.

02Most adolescents did not discuss sexuality with parents due to taboos, but viewed school as a safe environment for acquiring this knowledge.

STILL TO COME

How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs

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What it does not show

The study was conducted in a single public school in one region of Brazil, limiting the transferability of findings to other cultural or socioeconomic contexts. The sample size was small (18 participants) and recruited via snowball sampling, which may introduce selection bias. The study relied on self-reported knowledge and perceptions, which may not reflect actual sexual behaviors.

Declared interests

Funded by the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq). No other conflicts of interest were reported.

The easy way to misread this

Do not interpret these findings as evidence that school-based interventions reduce STI rates or improve sexual health outcomes. The study describes adolescents' perceptions and knowledge gaps at a single point in time; it does not test the effectiveness of any educational program.

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