Knowledge about penile cancer in a school in Recife/PE: a qualitative descriptive study

According to the World Health Organization, adolescence is characterized by biological, social and psychological transitions, which occur from 10 to 19 years of age. The Child and Adolescent Statute considers adolescents to be between 12 and 18 years old. Sexual behavior is characterized by curiosity and the discovery of pleasure. In this period of discovery, adolescents are faced with various sociocultural taboos that often prevent them from not only preventing the diseases they are susceptible to, but also from seeking treatment when the disease takes hold. Penile cancer accounts for approximately 2.1% of all tumors in men in Brazil, with a higher incidence in the North and Northeast regions. This study was carried out with the objective of evaluating the knowledge of students from the High School Reference School Professor Cândido Duarte, located in the city of Recife/PE. In the case of a descriptive quantitative study, a semi-structured questionnaire on penile cancer, symptoms, risk factors and prevention was applied, with the participation of 42 students. As for symptoms, reddish wounds, swelling, white spots and secretions with a strong odor, were pointed out by 67.4% of respondents. Regarding the main risk factors, sexual intercourse without using a condom, lack of information, accumulation of smegma and phimosis, were mentioned by 86% of the students. 48% of respondents cited the use of condoms during sexual intercourse as a preventive measure. The students demonstrated reasonable knowledge about sex education, however those referring to specific aspects of penile cancer were not satisfactory. Schools, being places frequented by adolescents and also disseminators of knowledge, can also act in the prevention of penile cancer since this, through the adoption of simple measures, can have its rates reduced considerably.