CHALLENGES FACED BY PRIMARY CARE NURSES IN THE PREVENTION OF SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED INFECTIONS IN ADOLESCENTS

Abstract

Objective: To identify the obstacles faced by primary care nurses in implementing strategies for the prevention of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in adolescents.
Materials and Methods: Qualitative, descriptive and exploratory study, conducted with an intentional and non-probabilistic sample of 5 nurses working in primary care in the
municipality of Santana do Mundaú, Alagoas, Brazil, who were interviewed in a semi- structured interview between September and October 2023. During the first face-to-face
interview, the informed consent form was read and signed. As the number of professionals interviewed was limited, 2 interviews were conducted in order to achieve greater depth of
the phenomenon and theoretical data saturation. The collected data were categorized in NVIVO12 software and subjected to content analysis according to the methodological
framework proposed by Bardin. Results: The results are presented in three categories: lack of demand from adolescents for health services; excessive work demands and lack of
material resources; interference from parents/guardians. Conclusions: The obstacles faced by nurses working in primary health care for the prevention of STIs in adolescents are
rooted in the absence of this population in health services, high work demands, lack of material resources and parental interference in participating in such activities in the school context.