Sixteen years. The most beautiful age in which you feel ready to run with great strides alongside time, nourishing yourself with loves, friendships, experiences and physicality, without thinking too much and with that placid lightness typical of adolescence. Yet it is also that age in which a completely anachronistic short circuit takes place in 2024: because it often happens today that we encounter 16 year olds children, yes, of sexual freedom and emancipation in relationships, but simultaneously yes they are ashamed to discuss issues related to sexuality in the familyto buy condoms at the pharmacy, as if “the real taboos” were sexual education and the prevention of sexually transmitted diseases. A phenomenon that also finds worrying evidence in Puglia, through the data emerging from scientific research “Knowledge, behaviors and habits about HIV and other sexually transmitted infections among high school students in Southern Italy. A cross-sectional investigation“, conducted by the team of infectious disease researchers from the University of Bari and published on 19 April 2024 in the scientific journal “Plos One”. The study, carried out in 2023 by the professor Francesco Di Gennaro – associate professor of Infectious and Tropical Diseases of the University, operating in international health cooperation and educational processes -, involved 1900 students, between 15 and 17 years old, belonging to 14 secondary high schools in Puglia. The doctor from Bari explained to Telebari how the investigation was born, accepted by the teaching staff and carried out through questionnaires and classroom lessons in which the children and their questions regarding sex were the protagonists.
How did this research come about?
“The investigation was conducted in 14 Apulian high schools out of 1900 boys and girls, between 15 and 17 years old, fielding a mixed group, made up of us researchers from the Infectious Diseases team of the University of Bari, led by professor Annalisa Saracinoand two activist associations fighting against HIV, the CAMA LILA Bari Association And ANLAIDS Puglia Onlus, both involved in the protection of HIV-positive patients. So we decided, in agreement with the institutes examined, to carry out an educational process on the topics of sexually transmitted diseases. All this arises from the urgency of providing knowledge about sex among very young people, which also emerged following many discussions we have had over the years with principals and teaching staff. These are topics that are usually addressed too little in family and school contexts. On the other hand, we in our clinics we perceived the need to leave the hospital, take off our scrubs and enter places of growth and training, where it is necessary to carry out prevention and make people reflect on the risks linked to sexually transmitted diseases. Before embarking on our lessons with high school students we have ‘administered’ them a questionnaire, served to test a little their knowledge about sex, to investigate their attitude and practice. We created moments in agreement with the managers: sometimes they were passages in the classes, other times discussions in school assemblies in front of up to 10 classes. The surveys were submitted before starting the discussion to avoid influencing the students, and then faced two hours of information lesson. The surveys served as a means to understand if there were indeed gaps on these topics, and what they were, and then intervene and try to fill those gaps. The students welcomed the investigation with great interest, interacting with us experts, exposing themselves and letting emerge those great clichés that had nestled in their heads and finally managing to understand the differences between contraceptive means and medical devices useful for preventing infections”.
What data emerged from the investigation?
“It turned out that 7 out of 10 young people have never talked about sex with their parents… and at that point we asked ourselves where they get that information from! Well, they acquire them on Internet: 6 out of 10 young people ‘inform’ themselves on social networks and 6 out of 10 through the experiences of friends, the so-called word of mouth. You understand well that in 2024 knowledge and correct information on sexuality and the prevention of sexually transmitted diseases cannot be spread through word of mouth among peers, we must talk about it in the family, with teachers and experts, such as the attending physician. Furthermore 7 out of 10 young people do not use condoms (The 70 percent), which comes mistakenly considered only as a contraceptive and not as a tool to prevent first of all sexually transmitted diseases, such as HIV, HPV, chlamydia, gonorrhea and many others; 1 in 10 (10 percent) have used emergency contraception in the last 6-12 monthsmorning after or 5 day after pill; 10 percent had more than 4 partners and 4 percent had more than 8 partners: therefore there is a high level of sexual activity that must be addressed without any kind of prejudice. I am very happy that young people love each other and have fun, but with the necessary precautions: sex is beauty, but even more so if done safely. I am not a priest, I am an infectious disease specialist and I can make an assessment of what the infectious risk may be, but I believe that these are issues to be addressed in educational contexts with the utmost urgency. Also because there is great demand from very young people, thirsty for knowledge on these topics, but who go to steal information about it on the web and don’t talk about it in their family, because they always feel that embarrassment, that shame due to age . I was also troubled by the results of the survey on HPV vaccinationa highly carcinogenic virus: less than 1 in 2 young people have been vaccinated. It is a free vaccine that can be administered from 11 to 14 years of age or by the age of 20: it is not mandatory, but strongly recommended because it prevents tumors of the oral cavity or cervix, as well as genital carcinomas. Getting vaccinated against the Papilloma virus makes you and the other person safe and vaccination and awareness programs should be created for children, which also involve families. Another disconcerting fact is that 3 percent of the very youngagain with an average age of 16, ago intravenous drug use and exchanging needles, staggering numbers. Returning to condoms, among young people there is paradoxically still a bit of shame even in purchasing contraceptives themselves, when instead they should be proud to buy them in pharmacies or other commercial businesses. I realize that even when we carry out awareness campaigns and distribute them for free, there are people who feel shame even just receiving them. Instead he should be happy about it, it is an act of kindness, concern and love towards the other person.”
Does this research reveal that girls are more afraid of getting pregnant than they are afraid of contracting a disease through unprotected intercourse?
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“Not knowing is independent of gender. Both a boy and a girl are not educated on these issues and it is a shame that this gap is not filled. This is a responsibility that inevitably falls on the world of adults, on the health and education system, on the state, which should implement policies to increase awareness of people’s actions”.
Are sexually transmitted diseases on the rise?
“The Italian data, which can be viewed on the website of the Ministry and the Istituto Superiore di Sanità, show a dangerously growing trend. Let’s think about HIV, which 30 years ago was a disease often contracted by drug addicts, now it is no longer the case. Today theYou contract HIV mainly through unprotected sexual intercourse…and who often has relationships with multiple partners without protection?! Generally boys and girls who are not on the margins of society, from good families, who have access to a good level of education and do not fall into risk categories, in fact unsuspecting”.
What should parents do?
“There is no decalogue, but in my opinion the first thing to do is sit down and talk about it calmly: don’t leave it to chance this very important aspect in the lives of our children. As experts we have the perception that certain topics are left to chance, which means to pornography, to TikTok, Instagram, Facebook. Sexuality and sexually transmitted infections are serious things that have an impact on a person’s existence and therefore we should talk about them calmly and also with professionals who deal with these aspects, from the family doctor, to the pedagogist, to the psychologist, infectious disease specialist, and many other experts, reference people who are important to involve in the growth of children.”
Were there any students who opened up and shared their experience?
“No, these were plenary lessons and they did not reveal personal stories. But then both we and the CAMA LILA and ANLAIDS associations were contacted by the kids via a service we have for counseling activities on sexually transmitted diseases. In our hospital we have a complex operational unit in which there is a clinic dedicated to this type of infection. The kids asked us for advice, how to access the tests, whether it is possible to do them anonymously. There is a hunger for knowledge about sexuality, which is part of the emotional growth of human beings. Guys, fall in and out of love without any prejudice, even every hour of your day, but using protection: that is the most beautiful act of love you can do towards yourself and the people around you.”
