Perceived value of early sex education predicts future attitudes and behaviors

Introduction: Few longitudinal studies have been conducted to assess whether the level of personal value attributed to one's experience in school-based sex education affects attitudes about sexual maturity and risk behaviors among adolescents living in extremely poor minority neighborhoods.

Purpose: This study considered whether the personal value (response choice of worthwhile vs. not worthwhile) attributed to sex education received in school between ages 9-11 affected sexual attitudes and behaviors later in adolescence (ages 12-16).

Method: Annual data on sex education, collected between 1998 and 2005, from the Mobile Youth Survey, an ongoing multiple cohort longitudinal study of 7,095 adolescents living in impoverished neighborhoods in Mobile, Alabama were used in the analyses. A linear mixed model analysis was conducted to determine whether the level of personal value attributed to sex education received in school between ages 9-11 affected attitudes regarding sexual maturity and condom use during later time periods.

Results: Latent growth curve analyses revealed trajectory differences for those who deemed sex education worthwhile versus those who deemed it not worthwhile for attitudes towards sexual maturity and condom use. However, trajectories did not differ between the two groups for recency and frequency of sexual intercourse or for the number of sexual partners.

Conclusion: A main implication of our finding is that school-based sex education programs may need to address factors that promote its value in order to affect future attitudes and behaviors.