Asian Journal of Pharmacy, Nursing and Medical Sciences (ISSN: 2321 – 3639) Volume 05 – Issue 01, February 2017 Asian Online Journals (www.ajouronline.com ) 17 Out of School Adolescents’ Knowledge and Practices on Sexuality in an Urban Poor Community Queenie Roxas-Ridulme Assistant Professor UP Open University Faculty of Management and Development Studies Email: queenie.ridulme [AT] upou.edu.ph ________________________________________________________________________________________ ABSTRACT--- Objectives: The purpose of the study is to determine the level of knowledge on sexuality in terms of pregnancy, sexually transmitted infections (STI) and contraception; and the practices of sexuality among out of school adolescents in an urban poor community in terms of sexual activity, STI and contraceptive use. It also aims to determine the relationship between the profile of these adolescents and their level of knowledge and practices on sexuality. Method: A survey was done among 347 urban poor adolescents aged 13-19 years old in an urban poor community. The investigator analyzed the presented data by determining the relationship between the profile variables and perceived adolescent reproductive health among urban poor adolescents. The study utilized a modified tool adapted from the World Health Organization Reproductive Health Questionnaire. Results: Level of knowledge results revealed that urban poor adolescents have a low extent of knowledge on pregnancy with 35.35 as a mean score. Urban poor out of school adolescents have an average extent of knowledge on sexually transmitted infections with a mean score of 49.23 and have an average knowledge on contraception with a mean of 52.85. Almost one third of the respondents are sexually active and only 4% had acquired sexually transmitted infections. Moreover, 71.2% of the respondents did not use condoms or any contraceptives. Chi square results indicate that there is no significant relationship between the level of knowledge of the respondents on pregnancy, sexually transmitted infections and their gender and religion. However, there is a significant relationship between the level of knowledge of the respondents on contraceptive methods and gender but not on religion. There is no significant relationship between the respondents’ sexual activity and their profile except for age of first sexual intercourse and religion. No significant relationship was found between the respondents’ practices on sexuality in terms of sexually transmitted infections and their profile but there is a significant relationship between practices on sexuality in terms of contraceptive use of pills, condom and injectable against the gender of the respondents and between the use of withdrawal and religion. Conclusion and Recommendation: There is a low level of knowledge in pregnancy, average level of knowledge in sexually transmitted infections and contraceptions among out of school adolescents. Almost one third of the respondents are sexually active and the majority did not use any contraceptives.There is a need for an adolescent reproductive health care focused on urban poor out of school members of the community and their mothers be included on health education programs. Keywords--- Sexuality, Knowledge, Practices, Out of school adolescents, urban poor community _________________________________________________________________________________________________ 1. INTRODUCTION According to a 2014 survey by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), one out of ten young Filipino women aged 15 to 19 had already begun childrearing. The PSA also detailed that 2% of young women aged 15 to 24 had initiated their sexual activity by the age of 15. One out of five Filipino women aged 18 to 24 years old also had sexual activity before the age of 18 years old. Some of these women have already engaged in premarital sex since 15% of young adult women aging 20 to 24 years old were already married or had begun living with their first partner by the age of 18. It was reported that young adult women in the rural areas have higher rates (22%) of first intimate sexual act before the age of 18, as compared to the urban counterpart (17%). Davao region has the highest incidence of teenage pregnancy with a rate of 27%. It was also indicated that Southern Leyte and Eastern Samar were some of the places with an already high and continuously increasing incidence rate (Van Del Hor, 2014).