Educational intervention for preventing unwanted pregnancies and sexually-transmitted diseases among teenagers in the city of Toledo, Spain

BACKGROUND: No-one doubts the need of effectively providing teenagers with information about birth control and sexually-transmitted diseases. This study is aimed at evaluating the results of an educational intervention related to these matters. METHODS: Before-and-after study of an educational intervention (based on lectures and handing out documentation) without a control group. A questionnaire was passed out before and after the intervention to assess changes in knowledge and attitudes of the 4th-year Compulsory Secondary Education students at five schools in Toledo. RESULTS: The questionnaire was answered by 238 of the 268 students. The average age was 15.59. A total of 54.66% were females. In all, 24.03% had had some sexual relation. The birth control method used most often was the condom (98.24%). The girls more refuse more unprotected relations (76.5% vs. 48.6%; p<0.001) and share the same classroom with a student having AIDS (80.47% vs. 60.38%; p<0.001). Six months following the start of the intervention, a total of 197 students answered the second questionnaire. Proper condom use rose from 62.13% to 73.46%. CONCLUSIONS: Following the intervention, an improvement has been noted in the degree of knowledge related to birth control methods and AIDS transmission and a more positive attitude regarding HIV.