Knowledge of sexually transmitted infections by students of a public education network inside ceará

Adolescence begins puberty, the stage of life where sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are transmitted mainly through sexual contact, since sexuality is initiated with unprotected practices due to lack of information. The objective of this study is to evaluate adolescents' knowledge about STIs. This is a descriptive study with a quantitative approach, carried out in a high school with adolescents enrolled in this institution through the application of a questionnaire on socioeconomic variables and the knowledge of adolescents about STI. The study was approved by Resolution No. 466/12 of the National Health Council and by the Human Research Ethics Committee (CEP) of the Catholic University Center in Quixadá on protocol number 962.151. 140 adolescents participated in the study. Prevalence of females was 55% (n = 77). Of the adolescents, 42.14% (n = 59) reported having started sexual relations. The most common form of STI transmission among adolescents was sex without condoms, totaling 97% (n = 135). The most common STIs were AIDS, Gonorrhea, Syphilis and Herpes. In this way, the adolescents' knowledge related to STIs can be evaluated, and ways of increasing their knowledge and improving health education can be traced.