Associação de conhecimento sobre DST e grau de escolaridade entre conscritos em alistamento ao Exército Brasileiro. Brasil, 2007

Angelica Espinosa Miranda, Denis Ribeiro, Erika Fazito Rezende, Gerson Fernando Mendes Pereira, Valdir Monteiro Pinto, Valeria Saraceni

The scope of this study was to describe knowledge of military conscripts about STD in relation to level of schooling upon enlistment in the Brazilian Army. A self-administered questionnaire with demographic and clinical aspects, forms of transmission, sexual behavior and access to STD information was applied in a national sample in 2007. Variables associated with low schooling were: being 19-20 years old [OR=1.2(95%CI:1.18-1.32)]; saying that STD can be transmitted by: eating contaminated food [OR=2.2(95%CI:1,96-2.55)]; bathing in rivers/beaches [OR=1.5(95%CI:1.27-1.88)]; mosquito bites [OR=1.5(95%CI:1.38-1.65)]; sexual intercourse <=14 years old [OR=1.4 (95%CI:1.33-1.55)]. Variables inversely associated with low schooling were: being white [OR=0.9 (95%CI:0.82-0.91)]; stating that STD can be transmitted by: sharing syringes/needles [OR=0.7(95%CI: 0.62-0.78)]; mother-to-child transmission [OR=0.6(95%CI:0.58-0.69)]; having used a condom in the last sexual intercourse [OR=0.8(95%CI:0.71-0.85)]; being MSM [OR=0.7(95% CI: 0.60-0.92)]; knowing that sex without condoms increases risk of transmission [OR=0.4 (95%CI:0,37-0,51)]. Given the association of low schooling with less knowledge about STD, educational policies geared to this population are needed because they are more vulnerable.