Norms, Attitudes, and Preferences: Responses to a Survey of Teens about Sexually Transmitted Infection and Pregnancy Prevention.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the values and beliefs regarding sexual behavior, sexual decision-making, and reproductive health learning preferences among teens in Hawaii.


METHODS
Survey regarding teens' knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs about sexual behaviors and preferences for learning about reproductive health.


METHODS
University of Hawaii Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology clinics in Honolulu, Hawaii.


METHODS
Female patients and their male or female companions ages 14-19 years.


METHODS
A 30-question anonymous survey.


METHODS
The main outcome was to describe the norms, attitudes, beliefs, and preferences of teens in this setting with regard to sexual health and sexual health education. For this, we provide a description of response frequencies and a comparison of mean scores across demographic characteristics.


RESULTS
We analyzed a total of 100 surveys. Teens endorsed more values and norms protective against sexually transmitted infection than those protective against pregnancy. Younger teens expressed more protective values as a result of the influence of perceived parental values, whereas older teens expressed less protective values on the basis of the influence of peers. Respondents expressed comfort talking with their clinician about sexual health, and also expressed a slight preference that their clinicians initiate these conversations.


CONCLUSIONS
The influence of parental values and peer norms on sexual behavior must be taken into consideration when designing interventions to address adolescent sexual health. Additionally, teens' greater concern about the consequences of sexually transmitted infection could be leveraged by clinicians to initiate broader conversations about sexual health, and a variety of modalities, including online resources and in-person conversations, should be used to meet the diversity of preferences expressed by teens across demographic groups.
Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Women's Health, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, Hawaii. Electronic address: mtschann@hawaii.edu.
Mary
M
Tschann
Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Women's Health, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, Hawaii.
Jennifer
J
Salcedo
Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Women's Health, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, Hawaii.
Reni
R
Soon
Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Women's Health, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, Hawaii.
Jennifer
J
Elia
Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Women's Health, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, Hawaii.
Bliss
B
Kaneshiro
D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior; D000367:Age Factors; D003142:Communication; D003267:Contraception / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006254:Hawaii; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology; D010379:Peer Group; D011247:Pregnancy; D011253:Pregnancy in Adolescence / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology*; D012736:Sex Education; D012725:Sexual Behavior / Q000523:psychology; D012749:Sexually Transmitted Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology*; D066262:Social Norms; D012945:Social Values; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
Adolescents; Attitudes; Behaviors; Norms; Pregnancy; Prevention; Sexually transmitted infections; Surveys
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