Document Type

Poster

Publication Date

Spring 3-31-2021

Abstract

Objective: The purpose of the study is to evaluate the sexual health awareness of adolescents and level of effectiveness for sexual health information provided in high schools and other available resources.

Design: The study was conducted at Georgia Military College in Milledgeville, Georgia. The design followed a quantitative approach using a questionnaire with a total of 30 participants aged at 18-19 years old. The study included 16 males and 14 females. Four ethnicities were recorded, and 53.3% were Caucasian/ White (n = 16), 26.6% were African American (n = 8), 13.3% were Hispanic/ Latino (n = 4), and 6.7% were multiracial (n = 2).

Results: Of the participants, 83.3% (n = 25) stated STIs can cause problems with fertility and higher risks for HIV/AIDS. Forty percent (n = 12) of participants reported their high school health education was not helpful in providing information about sexual health and STD prevention. Topics consisting key concepts of sexual health, such as STI and Pregnancy Prevention (56.7%, n = 17), Correct Contraceptive Use (70%, n = 21) and Gender, Sexual Identity and Orientation (63.3%, n = 19) were reported most by participants as topics that were not discussed in high school health education classes.

Conclusion: Overall, the study concluded adolescents understand the basic information regarding sexual health, but an increased access of sexual health information is needed. Increasing sexual education would seal the gap of information adolescents are not receiving from other resources in their communities.

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