Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #117510

Amanda Tanner, MPH¹, Laurie Legocki, MS¹, Michael Reece, PhD, MPH², Maresa Murray, PhD¹, and Kathleen Baldwin, MSW³. (1) Applied Health Science, Indiana University, 1025 E. Seventh St., H, Bloomington, IN 47405, 812-856-0352, aetanner@indiana.edu, (2) Department of Applied Health Science, Indiana University, HPER Building 116, 1025 E. Seventh Street, Bloomington, IN 47405-7109, (3) Planned Parenthood of Indiana, 200 South Meridian Street, P.O.Box 397, Indianapolis, IN 46206

Background: Adolescent sexuality and reproductive health is difficult, yet essential, to discuss given the potential positive and negative outcomes. According to the Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) nearly 50% of Indiana high school students have had sexual intercourse with a high accompanying teen birth rate. Educators provide important sexuality information to adolescents by drawing on various education philosophies, ranging from abstinence-only to comprehensive. Currently, little research exists on the effectiveness of these methods and how they impact students' reproductive health. Methods: Data collected from an Internet-based questionnaire from 400 Indiana school personnel were analyzed to determine what sexuality education method is employed in schools and how personnel rate the different methods. The data were then compared to YRBS and teenage pregnancy data. Findings: Most respondents indicated they utilize an abstinence-only philosophy (41%), then abstinence-plus (18%), comprehensive (14%), and reality-based (4%). Variation exists in the ratings of effectiveness, with (55%) school personnel believe comprehensive sexuality education is ‘very effective' whereas 2% rated it as ‘not effective at all'. Alternatively, 13% indicated abstinence-only methods were ‘very effective' while 36% rated it as ‘not effective at all'. According to the Indiana YRBS, almost 50% of high school students reported ever having had sexual intercourse, 38% were currently sexually active, and 45% reported no condom use during their last sexual experience. Conclusions: The incongruence between schools' reliance on abstinence-only sexuality education, ratings of effectiveness of the methods, and students' sexual behaviors has the potential to have a significant impact on the overall reproductive health.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the session, the participant in this session will be able to

• Describe the state of the current sexuality education in Indiana public schools.
• Articulate policy implications, due to the incongruence between the sexual behaviors that young people are participating in, what public school personnel indicate as the most effective sexuality teaching methods, and what method is utilized by the majority of schools.
• Identify behavioral implications for students’ reproductive health.

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.