Faces, discursos e práticas: visões e vivências da sexualidade e da saúde reprodutiva entre adolescentes de uma escola pública de João Pessoa - PB

Abstract

This study aims to question the reasons why despite all knowledge produced in researches on sexuality and reproductive health there is still a great unfamiliarity with the individuals regarding their own sexualities. Thus, the main objective of the survey was to investigate the awareness of students from public elementary school in Joao Pessoa municipality, state of Paraiba regarding the matter of sexuality and sexual initiation. The research bases on a quantitative and qualitative type of phenomenology documentation, aiming to identify and comprehend the perceptions/ representations of students from 8th and 9th grade of a public school in Joao Pessoa municipality. In order to meet following representations we appealed to the student s speeches used to interpret what has been transmitted to them. Several techniques such as questionnaires, semi- structured and individual interviews, as well as direct observation were applied and combined in this study. Qualitative depth of the speeches collected came through content analysis. When asked if there was a difference between sex and sexuality, circa 35% of interviewees answered no , represented by 18.9% young females and 16.2% young males. Non- answers were represented by 8.1% of the students and 1.4% claimed not knowing the difference. Despite masturbation is strongly linked to the male gender, it was also determined that both groups relate the practice with the search for pleasure represented by 48.6%, being 26.5% young females and 12.2% young males. The quest for self- consciousness stood in second place among the students, represented by 10.8% (being 4.1% young females and 6.8% young males). From the population that considered masturbation as a search for pleasure the majority of 24.3% represented Catholics and 10.8% Protestants. Students were also asked about the initiation of their sex lives. Young males shown to represent the majority regarding initiation of sexual relations, represented by 17.6% (being 13.5% African- Americans, 2.7% Caucasians and 1.4% Asians). The same numbers suffered a severe decrease when we referred to young female population: only 5.5% had had sex, being 4.1% African- Americans and 1.4% Caucasians. The average age of first sexual relation among the students were 11.7 years old. Among young males, the average age was determined at 11.8 years old. As the main reasons elected by the students for having their first sexual experience, most of the population that had already had sex claimed that their first time occurred due to desire/ attraction (represented by 12.2% of the students- being 9.5% young males and 2.7% young females). Followed by curiosity representing the second main reason for 8.1% of the students, being 5.4% young males and 2.7% young females. Through the present survey, it was possible to determine the challenges e difficulties of exercising sexual education outside a regulatory and broad perspective, escaping from naturalizing and biological concepts.