Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 14, 2026
10:57
Determining Soil-transmitted Helminth Infection Status and Physical Fitness of School-aged Children
Published on: August 22, 2012
Postponing sexual intercourse among urban junior high school students-a randomized controlled evaluation
S J Aarons1, R R Jenkins, T R Raine
1Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Howard University College of Medicine, Washington, DC 20060, USA.
Summary
A school-based program helped delay sexual activity in urban junior high girls, increasing virginity and self-efficacy. Boys showed improved knowledge of birth control but no change in sexual intent.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Adolescent Health
- Reproductive Health Education
Background:
- Adolescent sexual activity is a significant public health concern.
- School-based interventions are a key strategy for promoting sexual health among youth.
- Understanding gender-specific needs is crucial for effective sexual health programs.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate a school-based intervention aimed at delaying sexual intercourse among urban junior high students.
- To assess the impact of the intervention on sexual behavior, attitudes, and knowledge.
Main Methods:
- Randomized controlled trial involving six Washington, D.C. junior high schools.
- Intervention included reproductive health classes and the Postponing Sexual Involvement Curriculum.
- Surveys assessed virginity, sexual intent, self-efficacy, and knowledge at multiple time points.
Main Results:
- Intervention-group females reported higher virginity, self-efficacy to refuse sex, and intention to avoid sexual involvement.
- Significantly more intervention females knew about adolescent reproductive health and confidentiality rights.
- Males in the intervention group showed increased knowledge of birth control efficacy, but no changes in virginity or sexual intent were observed.
Conclusions:
- The school-based intervention demonstrated effectiveness in delaying sexual activity and improving sexual health knowledge among adolescent females.
- Gender differences in outcomes highlight the need for tailored, gender-specific interventions.
- Future programs should address the distinct social and cognitive needs of both male and female students.
Related Concept Videos
01:50Cross-Sectional Research
In cross-sectional research, a researcher compares multiple segments of the population at the same time. If they were interested in people's dietary habits, the researcher might directly compare different groups of people by age. Instead of following a group of people for 20 years to see how their dietary habits changed from decade to decade, the researcher would study a group of 20-year-old individuals and compare them to a group of 30-year-old individuals and a group of 40-year-old...
02:01Group Design
The most basic experimental design involves two groups: the experimental group and the control group. The two groups are designed to be the same except for one difference— experimental manipulation. The experimental group gets the experimental manipulation—that is, the treatment or variable being tested—and the control group does not. Since experimental manipulation is the only difference between the experimental and control groups, we can be sure that any differences between the two are due to...
01:13Randomized Experiments
The randomization process involves assigning study participants randomly to experimental or control groups based on their probability of being equally assigned. Randomization is meant to eliminate selection bias and balance known and unknown confounding factors so that the control group is similar to the treatment group as much as possible. A computer program and a random number generator can be used to assign participants to groups in a way that minimizes bias.
Simple randomization
Simple...
Simple randomization
Simple...
01:17Male Sexual Response: Erection & Ejaculation
Sexual stimulation can take various forms, such as physical touch and visual or auditory cues. When this happens, the parasympathetic reflex in the sacral portion of the spinal cord is activated. This reflex stimulates the release of nitric oxide (NO), which then dilates the arterioles in the penis, increasing blood flow to the erectile tissues - the corpora cavernosa and corpus spongiosum.
The blood filling the erectile tissues compresses the veins, which helps to prevent blood from leaving...
The blood filling the erectile tissues compresses the veins, which helps to prevent blood from leaving...
01:26Sexually Transmitted Infections
Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are diseases transmitted primarily through unsafe sexual interactions. Bacteria, viruses, or parasites cause them and can result in severe health complications if untreated.ChlamydiaThe bacterium Chlamydia trachomatis is responsible for the disease Chlamydia, the most common STI in the United States. This peculiar pathogen requires human cells to reproduce, residing intracellularly. The initial infection often goes unnoticed because it typically does not...
01:20Study Designs in Epidemiology
Epidemiological study designs are fundamental tools for investigating the distribution, determinants, and control of health conditions in populations. They help researchers understand the relationships between exposures and outcomes, and they broadly fall into two categories: "observational" and "experimental" studies.
Observational studies are those where the researcher does not intervene but rather observes natural variations. They include cross-sectional, cohort, and case-control studies.
Observational studies are those where the researcher does not intervene but rather observes natural variations. They include cross-sectional, cohort, and case-control studies.