Limits of teacher delivered sex education: interim behavioural outcomes from randomised trial.
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.
Wight
Daniel
D
Medical Research Council Social and Public Health Sciences Unit, Glasgow G12 8RZ. danny@msoc.mrc.gla.ac.uk
Raab
Gillian M
GM
Henderson
Marion
M
Abraham
Charles
C
Buston
Katie
K
Hart
Graham
G
Scott
Sue
S
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*