Papilomavírus Humano (HPV) e práticas contraceptivas entre universitários. / Human papilomavirus and preventive practices among college students.

AUTOR(ES)
DATA DE PUBLICAÇÃO

2010

RESUMO

HPV is an important public health sexually transmitted disease (STD) mainly because recognition of its association with cervix cancer. The purpose of this study was to characterize the level of knowledge about HPV and preventive practices among college students, with intention to support health care protocols. Descriptive data collection enrolled a self-completion questionnaire with open-ended and multiple response questions, addressed to first and third year college students of Campus Baixada Santista of Federal University of Sao Paulo UNIFESP. Questions regarding socio-demographic characteristics, sexual behavior and preventive practices, knowledge and preventive attitudes concerning HPV were investigated. Qualitative and quantitative analyses were performed. 283 students returned questionnaires 146 and 137 of the first and third year, respectively. White, female and young students were predominant. The majority of the respondents came from Sao Paulo or nearby cities, lives in Santos and is financially supported by parents. Intercourse was cited by more than half of the respondents, gathering first and third year students where male and third year students were in higher proportion. Age of sexual initiation was concentrated between 15 and 17 years old. More than 85,0% of respondents referred use of any preventive method during the first sexual relation, where female was preponderant. Pregnancy was the main concern among the whole sample, followed by STD prevention. Reports concerning the last intercourse among sexually active students at the moment of questionnaire application (43,1% of the first year and 55,5% of the third year) revealed higher rate of condom use among first year than third year students, whereas increasing use of oral contraceptive was observed in the latter. Respondents referred knowledge about STD, giving greatest importance to AIDS, followed by Syphilis. HPV was the fourth most important STD among first year students and the third among third year students. Although acquaintance about HPV increased from the first year (54,1%) to the third year (85,4%), both groups demonstrated incomprehension regarding its characteristics such as transmission, consequences or prevention. The current study showed lack of knowledge concerning transmission by contact, non-acquaintance about disease consequences, and predominance of perception that HPV is associated to female-specific disease. Not only oral contraceptive fails to prevent HPV transmission, but condoms do not avoid its contamination as well. This survey revealed the need for available information addressed to college students concerning characteristics of HPV disease.

ASSUNTO(S)

dst hpv juventude contracepção prevenção saude coletiva

ACESSO AO ARTIGO

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