Russian adolescent sexual behaviour and contraceptive knowledge

Lack of sex education in schools has been an ongoing issue in Russia, mainly due to conservative opposition to providing accurate sexual health information openly. Many adolescents may be misinformed about contraceptive methods and may not have reliable access to effective contraception. This study assessed sexual behavior and knowledge of contraceptives among Russian adolescents in the Republic of Bashkortostan. Among a convenience sample of 716 Russian high school youth, 60% lacked information about modern contraceptive methods other than condoms. Being male, older, having had school disciplinary problems, and lifetime use of substances was associated with an increased likelihood of having sexual intercourse in one’s lifetime. Of the sub-sample of participants who had engaged in sexual intercourse, 43.2% endorsed one or more items on an index of sexual risk-taking (e.g. multiple partners, no condom use). Additionally, the use of hard drugs and being of other ethnic relatives to Russian (e.g., mixed, Bashkir, Tartar) was associated with risky sexual behavior. Lack of knowledge of effective contraceptives and the high prevalence of risky sexual behaviors warrants further research into this topic, as well as a call for sexual education programs in the country.

January 2020 Sex Education
DOI:  10.1080/14681811.2019.1705780
Maria Bolshakova, Artur Galimov, Jennifer B Unger, Steve Sussman

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