Introduction:

Abortion rates in Cuba are highest in the 15-19 age group. 7% of teenage abortions occur in Villa Clara, whereas this province contributes 25% of the total teenage abortions in the central region. According to statistical data, nearly 33.8 teenage pregnancies per 1 000 women were recorded in the municipality of Quemado de Güines in the last five-year period.

Objective:

Develop educational actions aimed at modifying the sexual behavior of adolescents.

Methods:

An intervention study was conducted in the urban area of the municipality of Quemado de Güines in the period 2012-2014. The study universe was 1 190 teenagers of both sexes. The sample consisted of 83 teenagers selected by intentional nonprobability sampling, of whom 50 were female and 33 were male aged 12-16 years. A number of educational actions were designed and implemented with the purpose of modifying the sexual behavior of adolescents, based on a variety of approaches according to the change stage diagnosed.

Results:

A large percentage of adolescents with no intention to modify their sexual behavior eventually did modify it in the short, medium and long terms.

Conclusions:

The educational actions implemented with the study group of adolescents, which were based on the model of behavior change by stages developed by James O. Prochaska, applied a variety of approaches to foster changes in the sexual behavior of teenagers.

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