title: Partnering with public schools: a resident-driven reproductive health education initiative.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the impact of a resident-driven sexual health educational initiative in an inner-city Cleveland middle school.
  
  
  METHODS
  10 resident physicians and 57 students in 7(th) and 8(th) grade participated in this prospective cohort study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Residents taught 3 sessions on the topics of basic anatomy and physiology, pregnancy, sexually transmitted infections (STI), contraception, and safe relationships. Outcome measures included the percentages of students able to name at least 3 different STIs and contraceptive methods; to name potential complications of STIs; and to correctly identify condoms and abstinence as the only contraceptive methods also protective against STI transmission.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Significant improvements were noted in students' baseline knowledge of human anatomy, contraception, and safe sex practices after completion of the curriculum. The percentage of students able to name at least 3 forms of birth control increased from 1.7% to 70.7% (P < .0001). The percentage able to name at least 3 different STIs increased from 5.3% to 72.4% (P < .0001). Follow-up testing 4 months after completion of the curriculum demonstrated significant knowledge retention. All residents and medical students surveyed described a perceived need for comprehensive-rather than abstinence-based-reproductive health education in schools.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The socioeconomic burden of teen pregnancy justifies comprehensive efforts to improve reproductive health education.
authors: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, MacDonald Women's Hospital, University Hospitals Case Medical Center, Cleveland, OH. Electronic address: kelly.kuo@uhhospitals.org.
authors: Kelly
authors: K
authors: Kuo
authors: Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH.
authors: Tao Y
authors: TY
authors: Zhu
authors: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, MacDonald Women's Hospital, University Hospitals Case Medical Center, Cleveland, OH.
authors: Shandhini
authors: S
authors: Raidoo
authors: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, MacDonald Women's Hospital, University Hospitals Case Medical Center, Cleveland, OH.
authors: Lulu X
authors: LX
authors: Zhao
authors: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, MacDonald Women's Hospital, University Hospitals Case Medical Center, Cleveland, OH.
authors: Anne
authors: A
authors: Sammarco
authors: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, MacDonald Women's Hospital, University Hospitals Case Medical Center, Cleveland, OH.
authors: Karen
authors: K
authors: Ashby
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D002947:Cities; D003267:Contraception / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007396:Internship and Residency; D008297:Male; D009820:Ohio; D057766:Policy; D011247:Pregnancy; D011446:Prospective Studies; D055818:Public-Private Sector Partnerships; D021841:Safe Sex; D012574:Schools; D020377:Self Efficacy; D012736:Sex Education / Q000379:methods* / Q000458:organization & administration; D012749:Sexually Transmitted Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology*
keywords: Reproductive health education; Sex education; Teen pregnancy