title: Limits of teacher delivered sex education: interim behavioural outcomes from randomised trial.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine whether a theoretically based sex education programme for adolescents (SHARE) delivered by teachers reduced unsafe sexual intercourse compared with current practice.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cluster randomised trial with follow up two years after baseline (six months after intervention). A process evaluation investigated the delivery of sex education and broader features of each school.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty five secondary schools in east Scotland.
  
  
  METHODS
  8430 pupils aged 13-15 years; 7616 completed the baseline questionnaire and 5854 completed the two year follow up questionnaire.
  
  
  METHODS
  SHARE programme (intervention group) versus existing sex education (control programme).
  
  
  METHODS
  Self reported exposure to sexually transmitted disease, use of condoms and contraceptives at first and most recent sexual intercourse, and unwanted pregnancies.
  
  
  RESULTS
  When the intervention group was compared with the conventional sex education group in an intention to treat analysis there were no differences in sexual activity or sexual risk taking by the age of 16 years. However, those in the intervention group reported less regret of first sexual intercourse with most recent partner (young men 9.9% difference, 95% confidence interval -18.7 to -1.0; young women 7.7% difference, -16.6 to 1.2). Pupils evaluated the intervention programme more positively, and their knowledge of sexual health improved. Lack of behavioural effect could not be linked to differential quality of delivery of intervention.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Compared with conventional sex education this specially designed intervention did not reduce sexual risk taking in adolescents.
authors.affiliation: Medical Research Council Social and Public Health Sciences Unit, Glasgow G12 8RZ. danny@msoc.mrc.gla.ac.uk
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wight
authors.forename: Gillian M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Raab
authors.forename: Marion
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Henderson
authors.forename: Charles
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Abraham
authors.forename: Katie
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Buston
authors.forename: Graham
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Hart
authors.forename: Sue
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Scott
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D003075:Coitus; D003268:Contraception Behavior / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011247:Pregnancy; D011253:Pregnancy in Adolescence / Q000517:prevention & control; D015397:Program Evaluation; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012606:Scotland; D012736:Sex Education / Q000379:methods*; D012725:Sexual Behavior / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D013663:Teaching / Q000379:methods*