Health improvement measures in a service version of an effective sex education programme.
Int Conf AIDS 2002 Jul 7-12; 14:(abstract no. WeOrD1274)
Kay CM, Mellanby AR, Hinde J, Rees JB, Hull T, Tripp JH University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom
Concern in the UK that sexually transmitted infections amongst the young are continuing to rise and that the teenage pregnancy rate is the highest in Europe has been highlighted by The National Strategy for Sexual Health and HIV. Although the need to deal with these issues is recognised, the methodology for achieving targets is still not clear. While a number of studies have shown that sex education programmes can be effective, few have been scientifically robust and many have shown no behavioural change. In its original experimental mode, A PAUSE, a social influences based sex education programme, which uses both adult teachers and peer educators, demonstrated changes in knowledge, beliefs and behaviours. We report here, the evaluation of the dissemination of this programme. This study, carried out from 1995 to 2000, compares questionnaire responses from 22,794 students (mean age 16) who have (n=3953) or have not (n=18841) received the A PAUSE sex education programme during their secondary school years. Analysis used a General Linear Model (GLM). The effect of the intervention is estimated from between and within school comparisons, allowing for time trends. Results show that students who received the intervention demonstrated higher levels of correct knowledge concerning contraception and sexually transmitted infections (GLM p<0.001 ). They viewed their sex education more positively and were more likely to recall issues directly relating to the intervention, (GLM p<0.001). Intervention students were less likely to incorrectly believe that most teenagers under 16 have had sex (GLM p<0.001). The intervention also resulted in an absolute reduction of 5.8% (a relative reduction of 13.6% of those sexually active) in the number of students who reported having had sex. (GLM p=0.009). This is, we believe, the first theoretically based sex education model in Europe to be disseminated and maintain behavioural effects.
Keywords: AEGIS, Sex Education, Health Education, Health, Students, Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice, Adolescent Behavior, Coitus, School Health Services, HIV Infections, Teaching, Questionnaires, Health Behavior, Schools, Europe, Adolescent, Adolescence, Human, Adult, Female, Pregnancy
