Introduction:

Adolescence alone involves risky sexual behaviors with reproductive repercussions which are more serious in the epileptic patient.

Objective:

To identify the perception of sexual and reproductive risk related to their disease and treatment in epileptic adolescents.

Methods:

Cross-sectional and descriptive study carried out in 2016 with 93 epileptic adolescents treated at Juan Manuel Márquez Hospital. Demographic, disease-related, as well as sexual and reproductive health variables were measured, using a hypothesis test (significant P<0.05).

Results:

58.1% had focal epilepsy (n=54). Approximately 17% had epileptic seizures within the last year. Regarding sexual reproductive health, they obtained information at school or from friends (86%) and from mothers (57%), regardless of sex (P=0.09). They also reported knowledge about the condom (100%), risks of pregnancy in adolescence (8.1%) and HIV/AIDS (100%). Knowledge about the effects of epilepsy and drugs on fertility, pregnancy and heritability accounted only for 2.2%.

Conclusions:

The epileptic adolescents studied only knew about the condom and HIV/AIDS, with very insufficient information about the effects of epilepsy and antiepileptic drugs in relation to fertility, pregnancy and heritability of the disease, as well as the option provided by folic acid for the prophylaxis of congenital malformations.

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