[Adolescents' sexual and reproductive health knowledge and practice in a provincial Colombian town].

Objective: Identifying the sexual and reproductive health knowledge and practice of adolescents living in the town of Miranda in the Cauca department of Colombia.

Methods: Across-sectional, descriptive, observational study was made. The sample involved 406 adolescents. Sociodemographic, knowledge-related and practice-based variables were explored.

Results: The adolescents had high and very high levels of knowledge; 90.5 % of the adolescents had received information about sex and pregnancy; the main source of information came from their parents (67.5 %). Safe sex for 26.7 % of the adolescents meant just using a condom. Regarding their sexuality (practice), 42 % stated that they had had sexual relationships, beginning on average when around 13-years-old. Condom use was the most used protection mechanism. 12.5 % stated that they had used psychoactive substances or alcohol to intensify sexual experience; 87.7 % stated that they would seek counselling or treatment in a hospital or health centre without telling their parents if they contracted a sexually- transmitted infection (STI).

Conclusions: The adolescents involved in this study had high levels of knowledge; however, such knowledge is not enough to stop them beginning their sexual life early and/or increasing the probability of using a condom or contraceptive when beginning their sexual relationships.