Characterization of adolescent sexual practices.

Objective: to characterize adolescents' sexual practices and their association with sociodemographic variables, sources of information and behavioral habits.

Method: a descriptive, observational, cross-sectional study conducted with 85 adolescents from public elementary and high schools in a city in the state of São Paulo. Data were collected through a structured, self-administered and anonymous questionnaire. Statistical analysis was performed using the χ2 test and Fisher's test.

Results: 21.2% had started their sexual life through oral sex, with a predominance of females (94.4%), self-reported brown color (55.0%). The practice of vaginal sex was reported in 31.8%, with a mean age of initiation at 14.5 years. The female sex was predominant (77.0%), with a self-reported brown color (40.0%). The practice of anal sex was detected in 7.1%, with a mean age of 14.4 years, prevalent in females (83.3%), with a self-reported black color (50.0%). There was an association of alcohol, drugs and tobacco use with sexual practices (p<0.05).

Conclusion: a diversity of sexual practices associated with substance use was detected, emphasizing the importance of the nurse's role in planning and carrying out health education interventions with adolescents and families.

Unlabelled: (1) Analysis of the sequence and time of initiation of sexual practices, demonstrating the diversity of sexual activities performed by adolescents. (2) Family context and low openness to dialogue and its correlation with the initiation of adolescent sexual practices. (3) Behavioral habits: association of alcohol, tobacco and drug consumption by adolescents with sexual activities.