Title of the student research work: Knowledge of Sexual and Reproductive Health among Young Adults

Topicality: Young adulthood is a challenging period where many changes in physical,
psychological, and social development take place. Education on sexual and reproductive health
(SRH) during this period is essential and investigating the gaps in knowledge and recognizing
areas where improvement can be made is necessary for a sexually smart and healthy generation.

Aim of the research: To investigate the sources of sexual and reproductive health (SRH)
information among young adults aged 16, 17, and 18 years and compare their dominance in 3
countries – Latvia, Portugal, and Cape-Verde. To compare the knowledge of SRH topics in three
countries with different social backgrounds – Latvia, Portugal, and Cape-Verde.

Research design: A quantitative study performed by means of a 3-part questionnaire:
Identification; Sources of information; Knowledge of sexual and reproductive health. Two
countries–Portugal and Cape Verde are the target populations. Data was analyzed within the
country itself and compared to the other country under study. Theoretical data from literature
about Latvia was analyzed and used for further conclusions.

Research results and analysis: A total of 611 individual students, 246 (40.3%) Portuguese
and 365 (59.7%) Cape-Verdeans, predominantly feminine (51.7%), aged 16 years (43.7%).
Most students acquired information about puberty and the reproductive systems of men and
women through ‘professors’ (60.7% and 75.6% respectively). Young adults are more
comfortable and prefer to speak to friends about sex-related topics (36,8%) and personal issues
(44.2%). Students report an acceptable level of knowledge: 76.6% know women can get
pregnant on their very first sexual intercourse, and 83,1% know that STIs can occur from the first
sexual intercourse. The most familiar contraceptive method is ‘condoms’ (96.6%) and ‘HIV’
(95.9%) is the most recognized STI.

Conclusion: Young adults need a deeper, more specialized SRH education, which is essential
for responsible sexual behaviors. They gravitate more towards their peers for information,
even though their primary source of information is their professors. Specializing teachers in
SRH education is of utmost interest when it comes to improving it worldwide. Superficially,
we conclude that problems in SRH education are present in both developed and developing
countries. This study represents a small step in the understanding of adolescents' SRH needs in
Latvia, Portugal, and Cabo-Verde.