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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Amy Bleakley, PhD, MPH, Michael Hennessy, PhD, MPH, and Martin Fishbein, PhD. Annenberg School for Communication, University of Pennsylvania, 3620 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, 215-898-5000, ableakley@asc.upenn.edu

The social merits and practical efficacy of sex education in schools generate considerable debate, as do increases in government funding for abstinence-only programs that seem inconsistent with empirical evidence indicating little efficacy in reducing unsafe sex among teens. Data from the Annenberg Health Communication Survey (AHCS) was used to investigate citizen's positions on this debate, and how perceptions of sex in the media, beliefs about the efficacy of these approaches, and other characteristics such as political ideology and religiosity may influence sex education policy preferences. The AHCS is a representative monthly panel; data used are July 2005 to January 2006 (N = 1,096). Background measures are TV exposure, religious attendance, and political ideology. Mediating variables are sex ratings of TV and outcome expectations relating to the efficacy of different sex education approaches. Outcomes are support/opposition for abstinence-only education, abstinence-plus education, and condom instruction. Results show that approximately 82% indicated support for programs that teach students about both abstinence and other ways methods of preventing pregnancy and STDs and 68.5% supported teaching how to properly use condoms. Abstinence-only programs received the lowest levels of support (36%) and the highest level of opposition (50%). Beliefs about program efficacy mirrored the corresponding policy preferences: simultaneous equation analyses showed that support for abstinence-only was associated with beliefs about its efficacy and a less liberal political orientation, whereas opposition to condom instruction was associated with frequent attendance at religious services, being politically conservative, higher TV sex content ratings, and believing it is an effective program.

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

• Describe public support for different sex education approaches
• Identify characteristics associated with support of those approaches
• Recognize the discrepancy between current policy practices, public opinion, and empirical evidence

Keywords: Policy/Policy Development, Adolescents

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Any relevant financial relationships? No