Abstract
Author(s): Agnieszka Drosdzol-Cop1 (ADEF), Agata SidÅo-Stawowy1 (BDE), Zana Bumbuliene2 (ADEF),Agnieszka Nowak-BrzeziÅska3 (CE), Agnieszka BiaÅka1(BDE), Mariola Czajkowska1(B),Violetta Skrzypulec-Plinta1 (B)
Introduction. The study was taken to evaluate the sexualbehavior of young people from two Central European coun-tries: Poland and Lithuania and to determine their level ofknowledge about human sexuality.Material and methods. The study included 846 adolescentsfrom two Central European countries: 134 Poles, aged 16-18,and 712 Lithuanians, aged 18. A purpose-designed two-partquestionnaire was used in the study. The first part concernedthe participants’ socio-demographic characteristics. The se-cond part assessed their knowledge about human sexuality,and determined the source of knowledge; it also containedquestions regarding sexual behavior, age at sexual initiation,number of sexual partners, use of contraception, and expe-rience with sexual violence.Main outcome measures: to determine young people’s se-xual behavior and their knowledge about sex life.Results. Polish teenagers had their first sexual intercourseearlier than teenagers from Lithuania (mean age 15+-1.2 vs.16 +-1.1).The analysis showed statistically significant differen-ces between Polish and Lithuanian teenagers in many doma-ins, especially in the frequency of using contraception, know-ledge about sexually transmitted infections and knowledgeabout the consequences of early sexual contacts.Conclusions. The level of knowledge of Polish and Lithuanianteenagers on sexuality is insufficient. An age-adapted sexeducation curriculum is necessary to spread information aboutpuberty, modern contraception, forms of sexual abuse, etc.