Abstract
OBJECTIVES: to understand adolescent males' knowledge about safe sex in light of the Sustainable Development Goals of the 2030 Agenda. METHODS: a qualitative study involving 18 male adolescents, aged 15 to 19 years, in a public school in Recife, Pernambuco, conducted between June and December 2019. A semi-structured instrument was used to conduct interviews, and thematic content analysis was based on the framework proposed by Bardin. RESULTS: three thematic categories emerged: Adolescent Males' Knowledge About Safe Sex; Weaknesses in Guidance on Safe Sex Within the Family Context; and School as a Privileged Space for Teaching and Learning About Safe Sex for Adolescent Males. FINAL CONSIDERATIONS: limitations in knowledge about safe sex have negative health repercussions, weakening family and school dialogues and compromising the understanding of risk factors that contribute to early and unprotected sexual initiation among adolescents and their partners.