Published online by Cambridge University Press: 10 January 2013
This study's interest relies on adolescents' social representations of unprotected sex, more precisely on the relationship between the attitude towards the preservative and the reason attribution for its non use. 1386 secondary school students took part in the study, in the Brazilian cities of Florianópolis, Itajaí and Balneário Camboriú. In order to verify reasons attributed by the students, we focused on the sample that had sexual experiences without using the condom during last year. Data was analyzed with software ALCESTE, which showed three different classes of explanations for the non use of the preservative: the moment of the intercourse (unpredictable and incontrollable), trust in the partner and the option of the contraceptive pill, instead of the preservatives, in avoiding pregnancy. The students' attitudes towards the preservative are less favourable among those who maintain sexual intercourse with known people. The results revealed two representations of AIDS: one of trust in the partner and another of the experience with sex and the preservative – the first one gives sense to the adolescents' experiences with known sexual partners and the second, with less known sexual partners.
El interés de este estudio se encuentra en las representaciones sociales de las relaciones sexuales sin protección por parte de los adolescentes, en particular la relación entre la actitud hacia el preservativo y las razones atribuidas a su falta de uso. 1386 alumnos de secundaria participaron en el estudio, procedentes de las ciudades brasileñas de Florianópolis, Itajaí y Balneário Camboriú. Para verificar las razones atribuidas por los estudiantes, nos centramos en la muestra que había tenido experiencias sexuales sin usar condón durante el pasado año. Los datos se analizaron con software ALCESTE, que reveló tres clases de explicaciones para no usar el preservativo: el momento de la relación (impredecible e incontrolable), confianza en la pareja y la opción de la píldora anticonceptiva en vez de usar preservativos para evitar un embarazo. Las actitudes de los estudiantes hacia el preservativo son menos favorables entre los que mantienen relaciones sexuales con personas conocidas. Los resultados revelaron dos representaciones del SIDA: una de confianza en la pareja y otra de la experiencia del sexo y el preservativo – la primera da sentido a las experiencias de los adolescentes con parejas sexuales conocidas y la segunda, con parejas menos conocidas.
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