Sexual health and puberty education for adolescents in a public school: An extension experience report on promoting autonomy and disease prevention

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Adolescence is a period of intense biological, psychological, and social changes, often accompanied by doubts and misinformation about puberty and menstrual health, especially in vulnerable settings, where barriers to accessing reliable information can perpetuate taboos, stigmas, and inappropriate self-care practices. EXPERIENCE REPORT: This is a descriptive account of an outreach activity conducted by medical students in a public school with adolescents, using question-and-answer sessions and interactive presentations on puberty, the Tanner staging system, the menstrual cycle, menstrual hygiene, sanitary product options, and debunking myths. High engagement was observed, with active student participation, sharing of experiences, and questions related to sociocultural taboos and body image; we also addressed spontaneous questions, highlighting knowledge gaps and the potential for promoting self-care and autonomy. DISCUSSION: This experience reinforces the school as a strategic space for health promotion, reducing stigma, and strengthening youth leadership, in addition to contributing to the critical, ethical, and humanistic education of medical students, highlighting the potential of university extension programs as a strategy for health promotion and popular education.