Attitudes toward sex education among black, Hispanic and white inner-city residents

Telephone survey data gathered from residents of a New York City neighborhood indicate that Hispanics are significantly less likely to approve of sex education for adolescents than are either blacks and whites. Hispanics also perceive the appropriate ages for sex education to be older, and are more conservative about the topics and places for sex education than are the other ethnic groups. These differences remain after controls are introduced for sex, age, religion, education, number of children in the household, family income, or perception of teenage pregnancy as a problem. Age and education, however, are also important predictors of attitudes toward sex education.