Getting the guys involved: Utilization of male peer educators in classroom sexual health education

Low utilization of Title X family planning services by males is one indicator that targeted outreach to males for reproductive and sexual health education is necessary. Involving young males in responsible decision-making about their sexual health has great potential to reduce unwanted adolescent pregnancy, sexually transmitted infections and HIV/AIDS. Critical to this process is helping males overcome gender stereotypes and arming them with important skills and information. Utilizing positive male peer advocates is one promising strategy to engage young men in their own sexual health.

In this presentation, we examine the effectiveness of a male peer-to-peer health education program facilitated by trained college-age male outreach workers. The Benton County Male Advocates for Responsible Sexuality (MARS) Program, utilizes a unique curriculum designed to address media and social influences on sexual behavior, physical and emotional consequences of sexual activity, decision-making, personal values and limits, communication skills, abstinence and other contraceptive methods, sexually transmitted infections, and healthy relationships. Findings from pre-, post- and six month follow-up survey data will be presented from an intervention/comparison group study conducted with approximately 250 high school students between November 2006 and June 2007. Previous intervention-only pre-post-survey findings indicated that MARS Program participants have statistically significant improvements in sexual health knowledge, attitudes about healthy relationships, self-efficacy communicating with a partner, refusing sex and obtaining condoms, perceived peer norms, and intentions to use condoms. The MARS Program is one of 14 programs funded by the Office of Population Affairs Male Involvement Research Grants. Policy implications will be discussed.