Knowledge of Adolescent Girls regarding Sexually Transmitted Diseases: A Study in a Rural Area from North-Eastern Romania

This study aimed at assessing knowledge on sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) in rural 14 to 18-year-old adolescent girls. We administered a questionnaire about STDs to 534 girls and, then, organized a health education programme that included didactic lectures. The major sources of information about STDs were: family - 45.50%, professors - 21.70%, and the family doctor - 11.80%. Girls prefer to discuss sexuality with their mothers rather than with their fathers (23.03% vs. 2.62%). 16.60% knew about at least two STDs, while 8.10% had no knowledge about STDs. 95.30% of girls questioned had heard about HIV/AIDS, while 23.20% were aware that hepatitis B can be sexually transmitted, and 33.60% had heard about vaccination. Other STDs known by the adolescents were: syphilis (55.80%), candidiasis (12.90%), and trichomoniasis (6.60%). 33.10% of adolescents did not know of any methods of preventing STDs. Condoms were reported to be the first method of protection against pregnancy, not against STDs. If they had an STD, most adolescents (58.61%) would prefer to get their treatment from the pharmacy without first consulting a doctor. 74.50% of adolescents consider it useful to receive sexual education lectures in school, whereas 41.19% would like to receive information about STDs through brochures and 85.58% would rather find information on a website. STDs in teenage girls represent a special issue both for their families and society as a whole. The health education program contributed to raising awareness about STDs prevention and transmission in adolescents from rural area.