<b>Gender manisfestations in adolescence process</b> - DOI: 10.4025/actascihealthsci.v26i1.1698

Abstract

The aim of this study was to identify if gender issues were manifested in students’ writings of a private school in Rio Grande do Sul. 114 responses to the following question: "What qualities would you like your boyfriend/girlfriend to have?” were analyzed. For the analysis, a qualitative approach from Bardin’s (1977) thematic-frequency technique was used. The responses showed the adolescents’ needs towards their idealized companion and those needs were categorized as psychobiologic and psychosocial. According to the responses, we noticed that old stereotypes were reproduced: whereas the girls are shown to be romantic and dreamers, the boys ‘embody’ their desires as an attempt to demonstrate more sexual freedom. Considering that gender is a result of a social construction process, which values more the masculine condition, it is fundamental to develop relationships of equity among the sexes. Thus, nursing needs to engage in this perspective. For this, it is necessary to innovate the speech and practices, going beyond prevention of unwilling pregnancy and of STDs. Adolescents should be free to discuss sex and pleasure. They need to know that it is possible to exercise sexuality in a responsible and happy way, without fear or guilty feelings.