Sexual activity in early adolescence: a public health problem in a Colombian city

Background: The onset of sexual activity in adolescents is associated with poor family planning, a higher fertility rate and risk of acquiring sexually transmitted diseases. Objective: To evaluate the impact on fertility, family planning and cervical lesions in a population who initiated sexual activity in adolescence. Method: A retrospective cohort study. Included 845 adolescents and young people who initiated sexual activity during adolescence and who consulted a Lender Institution Health Services in Tuluá, Colombia. The analysis included descriptive statistics, analysis of relative risk (RR) and attributable to exposure (RAexp) expressed in percentage, as indicators of association. Results: There were 203 adolescents and 642 young people. The average age of onset of sexual activity was 16 (+/- 1.6 years). 49 percent did not perform family planning, 34.7 percent had ≥ 1 child and 6.9 percent cervical lesions. There was an association between sexual activity in early adolescence and have a child, when compared with the onset of sexual activity in middle (RR: 1.6, 95 percent CI 1.2 to 2.1. RAexp percent: 35.7 percent, 95 percent CI: 13.3 to 52.4 percent) and late adolescence (RR: 2, 95 percent CI: 1.5 to 2.6. RAexp percent: 49 percent, 95 percent CI: 31.7-62 percent). Conclusions: Our results confirm the early onset of sexual activity in adolescents, low contraceptive use and risk of cervical lesions. Educational programs leading to delayed onset of sexual activity, the use of effective contraceptive methods and barrier methods will reduce the numbers found in this study.