A survey of 81 Mexican adolescents examined sex education, sexual knowledge, and birth control knowledge, attitudes, and practices. Although 85% of the adolescents had received some sex education in school, only 8% believed that teachers should be responsible for sex education. (KS)

Analysis of the contraceptive behavior of 123 young adults indicates that (1) interventions to change high-risk behaviors need to address differing perceptions of pregnancy and disease prevention and (2) interventions will be more effective if positive aspects of using contraceptives are made more salient. (SK)

Analyzed 32 outcome studies on the primary prevention of adolescent pregnancy and examined several moderator variables in relationship to the findings. Results indicate that certain pregnancy prevention programs had no effect on adolescents' sexual activity. Found sufficient evidence to support the efficacy of pregnancy prevention programs for…

Surveyed and conducted focus groups with Kenyan adolescents to investigate their health information sources, focusing on sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), particularly HIV/AIDS. Respondents relied most heavily on health clinics for information on STDs, their most common health problem. Those with high knowledge of contraceptives were more…

This paper presents data from a study of four projects in which young mothers deliver school sex education sessions, with the aim of giving pupils "informed choices" regarding their sexual behaviour. Eleven focus group discussions were carried out with pupils, and semi-structured interviews were carried out with 14 young mothers in order to assess…

When it comes to the reproductive health behaviors of teens and young adults, far more public attention has focused on women than on men. That's not surprising. After all, men don't actually have the babies. Yet the importance of understanding men's reproductive health behaviors should not be overlooked, given their potential implications for men…

Measures of adolescents' HIV/AIDS knowledge that cover only die basic facts may fail to assess underlying misunderstandings in need of intervention. We developed and evaluated a measure covering the broad domain of HIV/AIDS knowledge, emphasizing misunderstandings revealed in semi-structured qualitative interviews. These included the cumulative…

This study compared the predictive value of the theory of planned behavior in university students in South Africa (N = 251) and the United States (N = 160) who completed an anonymous self-administered questionnaire. Multiple regression analyses revealed that condom use and intention were significantly predicted by positive condom attitude,…

We examined data from a community sample of rural stimulant users (n = 691) in three diverse states to identify gender and racial/ethnic differences in HIV risk behaviors. Bivariate and logistic regression analyses were conducted with six risk behaviors as dependent variables: injecting drugs, trading sex to obtain money or drugs, trading money or…

Teens encounter a barrage of messages about sexuality in popular culture--messages that shape their identities and schooling experiences in profound ways. Meanwhile, teen sexuality, pregnancy, and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) increasingly arouse public panic. To date, however, schools do little to help teens make sense of their…

Research has shown that Latino parents discuss sexual topics with their children less often than do parents from other ethnic groups; however, communication about sex in Latino families is not well understood. The present study explored the content and process of mother-adolescent communication about sex to better understand how to facilitate…

Latino and Latina sexual attitudes and behaviors must be understood if educators and counselors hope to reach this population with effective sexuality and Human Immunodeficiency Virus/Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (HIV/AIDS) information and education. The general U.S. Latino population is mostly sexually conservative; direct talk in public…

Since 1986, the Center for Population Options (CPO)/Support Center for School-Based Clinics (SBCs) has conducted an annual survey. Over time the SBC has become a prototype for other adolescent health service models. Perhaps the oldest is the school-linked clinic (SLC), a free-standing adolescent health clinic. Located away from the school campus,…

Samples of college students are compared in terms of gender role norms and relationships with particular focus on birth intentions. It was found that over time both men and women have become less sex role traditional and that these measures of sex role norms do predict birth intentions. (Author)

This bulletin's objective is stated to be to explore the present spectrum of opinion among black leaders and the cultural and political backgrounds that have influenced current thought; the responses of blacks in putting family planning into practice are also outlined, together with some probable trends in family size. [Available from Population…