Preventing adolescent pregnancy with social and cognitive skills.
A 15-session sex education program was delivered by teachers to 586 10th graders using techniques based on social learning theory, including modeling, in-class and out-of-class practice of skills for abstaining from sexual intercourse, and for contraception. Knowledge about reproduction and birth control, intentions to use skills to avoid pregnancy, and communication with parents about pregnancy prevention were significantly greater at posttest and 6-month follow-up for the trained group than for the control group. Members of the trained group tended to use birth control more often, especially those who started to have sexual intercourse  subsequent to the program. No differences in the frequency of sexual intercourse, pregnancy scares, or pregnancies were found. Satisfaction with the program was high. Although skill training by itself may not be sufficient to significantly prevent pregnancies, this program offers promise of being a useful component of combined school, home, and community activities to prevent pregnancy.
D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D000569:Americas; D001519:Behavior; D003710:Demography; D019049:Developed Countries; D004493:Education; D005298:Fertility; D015438:Health Behavior; D019359:Knowledge; D009656:North America; D011153:Population; D011154:Population Characteristics; D011157:Population Dynamics; D011253:Pregnancy in Adolescence; D012574:Schools; D012736:Sex Education; D012725:Sexual Behavior; D012919:Social Behavior; D014481:United States
Adolescent Pregnancy; Adolescents; Age Factors; Americas; Behavior; Demographic Factors; Developed Countries; Education; Family Planning Education; Fertility; Knowledge; North America; Northern America; Population; Population Characteristics; Population Dynamics; Reproductive Behavior; Research Report; Risk Reduction Behavior; Schools; Secondary Schools; Sex Education; Social Behavior; United States; Youth