Official websites use. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. Correspondence: giuliaciccarese libero. Worldwide, million people a year acquire a sexually transmitted disease STD. To analyze sexual behavior among Italian adolescents and their knowledge of STDs, with the goal of preventing their transmission, a questionnaire was administered to secondary school students males and females aged 14β21 years. Noteworthy, only 0.
Finally, a consistent number of students are exposed to risk factors for STDs transmission; e. On the basis of our study, there is an urgent need for the introduction of sex education as a proper subject in Italian schools.
Keywords: sexually transmitted diseases, sexual behaviour, adolescents, sex education, sexual health. Sexually transmitted diseases STDs are a group of infectious diseases caused by viruses, bacteria, fungi, parasites, protozoa or arthropods that are generally acquired by sexual contact. STDs include more than 30 different conditions, among which the most common are gonorrhoea, chlamydial infection, syphilis, trichomoniasis, chancroid, genital herpes, genital warts, human immunodeficiency virus HIV infection and hepatitis B [ 1 ].
STDs represent one of the most serious public health issues in the world, in both industrialized and developing countries. The World Health Organization WHO estimates that worldwide more than 1 million people acquire a sexually transmitted infection every day and million people each year [ 1 ]. In Italy, Recent studies of sexual activity in Italian adolescents found that many of them have their first sexual experience at a very early age Furthermore, a large percentage has multiple partners [ 5 ].
On the basis of these considerations, we asked adolescents in Italian secondary schools to complete a written questionnaire inquiring about their knowledge of STDs, their sexual behaviors and their use of STD prevention methods. Our goals were first to establish the level of knowledge about STDs in Italian adolescents and, secondly, in the meantime, to increase, at least partially, their knowledge on these topics. All subjects gave their informed consent for inclusion before they participated in the study.
