The study investigates teenagersʼsexual education, inquiring if legal proceedings need updatings.

630 students (mean age 16.49±1.48) anonymously filled in a questionnaire we created, including one domain with general questions and one investigating the source of information, knowledge and use of contraceptives. Then we estimated differences between schools with a sexual education program and schools without it.

Condom is the best known contraceptive (97%). 55% (42% girls - 58% boys) of the sample had sexual experiences (mean age of the first one: 15.6±1.3); 82.6% use condoms, 11.38% pills, but answers like “no method” (20.4%), “coitus interruptus” (23.4%) and “natural planning” (10.2%) show up. 20.5% of sexually active girls had needed the interceptive pill (MAP) once at least, while voluntary pregnancy interruption (VIP) involved 2% of them. The information sources were: friends (58.9%), school (55%), mass media (21.5%), “self-taught” (20.25%), others. The χ-test, comparing schools with and without education plans, resulted in p>0.001.

Laws n. 66/96 and n. 269/99 say teenagers can practice sex since the age of 14, while at 13 they can practice with people not older than 3 years. An inadequate education and restrictions in prescribing MAP could lead to a subsequent VIP, so both correct education plans and more defined laws about MAP prescription in teenagers are strongly hoped.