EVALUATION OF A SEX EDUCATION PROGRAM IN MAURY COUNTY, TENNESSEE

Abstract

Unprotected sexual behavior among adolescents is a major public health concern because it can lead to HIV/AIDS, other sexually transmitted infections (STIs), and unwanted pregnancies. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of a sex education program, provided by Pregnancy Center of Middle Tennessee, on adolescents' knowledge of STIs, teen pregnancy and assessment of adolescent's risky sexual behavior in Maury County schools.

A survey was conducted prior to and immediately after the intervention among participants in the experimental (N = 60) and control (N = 60) groups. A quasi-experimental pretest-posttest design was performed to assess the effectiveness of the sex education program on participants' knowledge of STIs, teen pregnancy and assessment of adolescent's risky sexual behavior. Significant beneficial effects of the intervention were found on participants' postscores on knowledge of STIs and teen pregnancy. Overall, the findings indicate that the program had a positive impact on participants.