title: Factors affecting sex education in the school system.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe the current status of school based sex education and to determine predictors of providing a comprehensive sex education curriculum.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional mailed survey
  
  
  METHODS
  Hawaii
  
  
  METHODS
  Seventh and eighth grade health teachers
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants were surveyed regarding the content, quality, and influences on sex education for the 2007 to 2008 academic year.
  
  
  METHODS
  Measures of association (chi-square, ANOVA) and multiple logistic regression were used to determine predictors for teaching comprehensive sex education topics including sexually transmitted infections and pregnancy prevention.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Approximately 80% of teachers incorporated some form of sex education into their curriculum and 54.4% of teachers incorporated a comprehensive education. Teachers indicated that personal values and the availability of curriculum had the greatest influence on the content of the curriculum. Specific factors which were associated with an increased likelihood of providing a comprehensive curriculum included teaching in a public school (public 66.7% versus private 34.6%, P = 0.01), receiving formal training in sex education (received training 77.8% versus did not receive training 50.0%, P = 0.03) and having contact with a student who became pregnant (contact 72.7% versus no contact 46.7%, P = 0.04).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although most teachers incorporate some form of sex education, only half incorporate a comprehensive curriculum. Personal values as well as teacher resources play an important role in the content of the curriculum.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Women's Health, University of Hawaii John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA. gregorywwoo@gmail.com
authors.forename: G W
authors.initials: GW
authors.lastname: Woo
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Soon
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Thomas
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kaneshiro
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003479:Curriculum / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006254:Hawaii; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012572:School Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012574:Schools; D057566:Self Report; D012736:Sex Education / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000078329:Workforce