title: Sex education: findings from the Second Australian Study of Health and Relationships.
abstract: In a national telephone-based survey, information on sexual behaviour and outcomes were collected from 20091 randomly selected Australians in 2012-13. Data were weighted and analysed to determine the proportion of those who had received school-based sex education and to examine the associations between sex education and sexual health outcomes, specifically a history of a sexually transmissible infection (STI), early pregnancy, contraception use at first sex, and level of STI knowledge. Just over half the respondents (53%; n=19836) reported receiving sex education that included information about condoms and contraception. Using logistic regression analysis after adjusting for age, education and non-English-speaking background, we found that sex education was strongly associated with increased odds of using contraception at first vaginal intercourse (odds ratio (OR)=1.57; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.44-1.71; P<0.001) and higher levels of STI knowledge (OR=1.75; 95% CI 1.46-2.12; P<0.001).
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health and Community Medicine, Level 2, Samuels Building, UNSW Australia, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yeung
authors.affiliation: Centre for Social Research in Health, Level 3, Goodsell Building, UNSW Australia, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Aggleton
authors.affiliation: Kirby Institute, Level 6, Wallace Wurth Building, UNSW Australia, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia.
authors.forename: Juliet
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Richters
authors.affiliation: Kirby Institute, Level 6, Wallace Wurth Building, UNSW Australia, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia.
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Grulich
authors.affiliation: School of Psychology, Level 1, Pevensey 1, University of Sussex, Brighton, BN1 9RH, UK.
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: de Visser
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, Level 3, Edward Ford Building, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia.
authors.forename: Judy M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Simpson
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, Level 3, Edward Ford Building, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia.
authors.forename: Chris
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rissel
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001315:Australia; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012736:Sex Education / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires