A gender and rights-based sexual health promotion program for adolescents: Short-term outcomes of the Planned Parenthood Los Angeles Sexuality Education Initiative

The Sexuality Education Initiative is a multi-component, rights-based intervention developed by Planned Parenthood Los Angeles with the goal of improving the sexual and reproductive health of youth.  The SEI consists of: (1) a classroom curriculum, (2) peer education and advocacy, (3) parent education, and (4) access to clinical sexual health services.  The evaluation design for the intervention involved two levels of randomization.  Schools were randomly assigned to receive either all four program components or two components only (curriculum plus clinical services). Within all schools, classrooms were randomly assigned to receive either a 12-session rights-based curriculum or a 3-session comparison curriculum. Ten high schools located in neighborhoods of Los Angeles with high rates of teen pregnancy and STIs were recruited to participate.  Students (n=1700) completed a survey at baseline, two weeks following delivery of the curriculum, and at one year follow-up.  Preliminary analyses focused on the baseline and immediate post-test, examining differences between intervention and comparison classrooms in short-term outcomes that are hypothesized to lead to long-term  behavioral outcomes.  Students who received the rights-based curriculum demonstrated increased  positive attitudes about sexual relationship rights, knowledge about sexual health, knowledge about sexual health services, self-efficacy to manage risky situations, and likelihood of carrying a condom at the time of the survey, compared to students who received the comparison curriculum (p’s <.05).  Differences between the two groups in communication about sexuality with partners and parents, and intentions to use condoms, were not statistically significant.  Implications of these findings for rights-based programs will be discussed.