The difficult issue of second-trimester abortion.

The study investigated the effect of a school-based sexuality education programme on child sexual abuse (CSA) prevention skills among primary school pupils in Delta State, Nigeria. To guide this study, two research questions were raised with their corresponding hypotheses formulated. The study adopted a quasi-experimental design using a pre-test, post-test non-equivalent control group. The population consisted of 6,204 primary six pupils in Ughelli North Local Government Area, from which a sample of 85 primary six pupils aged 9–11 years was selected using intact classes. The instrument used for data collection was the Children’s Knowledge of Abuse Questionnaire–Revised (CKAQ-R) adapted from Tutty (1995), which yielded a reliability coefficient of 0.82. Data collected were analysed using mean, standard deviation, and paired sample t-test at a 0.05 level of significance. The findings revealed a significant difference between the pre-test and post-test mean scores of pupils exposed to the school-based sexuality education programme, indicating that the intervention significantly improved their CSA prevention skills. However, no significant difference was observed among pupils in the control group. Based on these findings, the study concluded that school-based sexuality education programmes are effective in enhancing pupils’ ability to recognise, resist, and report sexual abuse. It was recommended that such programmes should be integrated into the primary school curriculum to promote child safety and protection.

BackgroundPolicy-makers who are making decisions on sexuality education programs face important economic questions: what are the costs of developing sexuality education programs; and what are the costs of implementing and scaling them up? This study responds to these questions by assessing the costs of six school-based sexuality education programs (Nigeria, Kenya, Indonesia, India, Estonia and the Netherlands).MethodsCost analyses were carried out in schools that were fully implementing a SE program, as this best reflects the resources needed to run an effective program. The costs were analyzed from the program perspective, meaning that all costs borne by the governmental and (international) non-governmental organizations supporting the program were included. Cost analyses were based on financial records, interviews and school surveys.We distinguished costs in three consecutive program phases: development, update and implementation. Recommendations on the most efficient program characteristics and scale-up pathways were drawn from results of three fully scaled up programs (Estonia, Nigeria and the Netherlands), scale-up scenarios of two pilot programs (Kenya and Indonesia), and an implementation plan (India), The costs of the programs were compared by converting cost per student reached in US dollars (US$) to international dollars (I$).ResultsFindings revealed a range of costs and coverage of sexuality education programs. Costs per student reached were; US$7 in Nigeria, US$13.50 in India, US$33 in Estonia and the Netherlands, US$50 in Kenya, and US$160 in Indonesia.ConclusionsIntra-curricular sexuality education programs have, because of their compulsory nature, the most potential to be scaled up and are therefore most efficient. Extra-curricular sexuality education programs have lower potential to be scaled up and are therefore less efficient. In terms of class size and number of lessons, countries need to strike a balance between the quality (demanding smaller classes and many lessons) and the costs (demanding larger classes and fewer lessons). Advocacy was a significant cost component.

Chlamydia trachomatis (chlamydia) is the most common bacterial sexually transmitted infection (STI). Its incidence in the UK has risen steadily since the mid-1990s, with new diagnoses rising by 1% from...

The impact of a family life education program for inner-city, minority elementary-school students was investigated. 2 randomly assigned groups of 7th and 8th graders (balanced for gender) completed a self administered survey, both before and after program implementation. In comaprison to the control group, program participants displayed (a) improved knowledge about contraception, reproductive physiology, an adolescent pregnancy outcomes; (b) increased awareness of the existence of specific birth control methods; (c) among 7th gradres, more conservative attitudes toward circumstances under which sexual intercourse was viewed as personally acceptable, and among8th graders, a shift toward more liberal attitudes; and (d) a greater tendency to acknowledge mutual responsibility for contraception. The impact of this intervention and school-based sex education programs in general is discussed within the broader context of the young adolescent's social environment.

This study evaluated the efficacy of the COMPAS program in the short term and 6 months after its application. For the initial sample, 2047 teenagers aged 14–19 years from 14 schools in 11 Colombian cities participated; eight schools were randomly assigned to the experimental condition and six to the control group. The participants completed self-report assessments that evaluated several variables theoretically associated with protective sexual behaviors. In the short term, the experimental group showed increased knowledge about HIV and other STIs, sexual assertiveness, self-efficacy, greater behavioral intention toward condom use, and more favorable attitudes toward HIV and condom use than the control group. After 6 months, most psychological and health variables also showed a significant positive change. In conclusion, the COMPAS program is the first school-based sexuality education program that has been shown to be effective in reducing mediating and behavioral variables associated with sexual risk reduction in Colombia.

The Ugandan government has been criticised on several grounds for its abstinence-only policies on sexuality education directed towards young people. These grounds include the failure to recognise the multiple realities faced by young people, some of whom may already be sexually active. In the study reported on this paper, students’ perceptions of relationships and sexual practices were analysed to obtain an understanding of how young people construct and negotiate their sexual agency in the context of abstinence-only messages provided in Ugandan secondary schools and at the wider community level. Ten in-depth interviews and six focus group discussions were conducted with students aged 15–19 years (N = 55) at an urban co-educational secondary school. Data were transcribed verbatim and analysed using grounded theory. Findings show that students engage in sexual activity despite their belief that contraception is ineffective and their fears for the consequences. Students’ age, gender, financial capital and perceived sexual desire further increase risk and vulnerability. To improve their effectiveness, school-based sexuality education programmes should support students to challenge and negotiate structural factors such as gender roles and sociocultural norms that influence sexual practices and increase vulnerability and risk.

For decades curriculum-based sexuality education has been a cornerstone of school- and community-based efforts to improve young peoples sexual and reproductive health and more recently to prevent HIV infection. Unfortunately public discourse about sex education has been mired in polarizing debates that distract attention from determining how sex and HIV education programs might best achieve the shared goals of many different constituencies. A recent comprehensive review of the impact of school-based sexuality and HIV education programs in developed and developing countries found that two-thirds of the programs reduced the risk associated with one or more reported sexual behaviors. This finding is encouraging and has led experts to recommend broad implementation of adult-led school-based sex and HIV education that includes key characteristics common to effective programs. Yet the ongoing HIV epidemic-increasingly affecting females and young people especially in developing countries-and the human costs of unwanted pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections underscore the urgent need to optimize sex and HIV education programs. Population Council analyses point to several key areas in need of rethinking. (excerpt)

A double-blind comparison of the safety and efficacy of intravaginal misoprostol and prostaglandin E 2 to induce labor

School-based sex education is an underdeveloped and challenging issue to address in Iran. This paper provides insights into the main challenges in developing and implementing school-based sex education in Iran. Through an investigation of one Iranian boys' school that, in contrast to the majority of Iranian educational institutions, has an established strategy for educating its pupils on sexual matters, it is possible to critically explore the underlying principles and practice of sex education in this institution. Given the sociocultural milieu provided by Iranian society and the problematic nature of childhood, adolescent and premarital sexualities within that society, developing and implementing school-based sex education programmes is a difficult endeavour. Premarital sexuality in Iran is unacceptable to such a great extent that many parents and schools, even when aware of the risks associated with poor sexual health knowledge, may choose not to approach sex education, since to do so may be to acknowledge premarital sexuality and, supposedly, lead to premarital sex. There is a need for evidence-based research to examine the different aspects of sex education for young Iranians and to demonstrate its importance and effectiveness.

IntroductionThe school-based sexuality education programmes in South Africa aim to improve the sexual and reproductive health of school-going adolescents. However, the high rate of unplanned pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections among learners in some schools in rural areas of King Cetshwayo district suggests that the programmes in these schools might not be effective due to certain learner-centred factors.MethodThis qualitative study explored lived experiences of 84 learners from nine public schools in 2020 through focus group interviews. Data was analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis.ResultsLearner-centred barriers to effective school-based sexuality education identified in this study were attitudes, age disparity, psychological status, peer pressure, socio-economic status, the exploratory attitude of learners, media, lack of role models, previous experiences, socio-economic status, and lack of parental love. These factors could reduce good sexual health. Learner-targeted interventions such as campaigns, using guest professionals, condom distribution, videos, on-site family planning, formal demonstrations, and on-site counselling could address these barriers.ConclusionsAddressing these barriers and implementing the proposed interventions will enhance school-based sexuality education and consequently improve adolescents’ sexual health.Policy ImplicationsThe findings could guide programming, implementation, and delivery of school-based sexuality education leading to improved adolescents’ sexual and reproductive health.

Evaluation of a school-based asthma education program for inner-city children

The purpose of this cross-sectional, exploratory study was to investigate which topics under the second edition of the National Sex Education Standards (NSES) were valued and which high school school-based sex education program (abstinence vs. comprehensive) was preferred among selected college students at a mid-sized Southern university. The survey was used to explore what National Sex Education Standards hold the most or least value based on personal beliefs. The survey instrument included every 10th-grade standard from the NSES and demographic questions to determine the perceived importance of each topic within the NSES, as well as differences among groups based on demographics and other variables. Results indicated that the majority of participants perceived all standards and topics as important and preferred that high school students receive a comprehensive sex education curriculum. Findings from this study have implications for curriculum development or expansion, guiding administrators and educators in enhancing the comprehensiveness of high school school-based sex education programs.

The Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine is effective in reducing HPV-related cancers. However, little is known about Ghanaian adolescents' attitudes toward HPV vaccination. We examined the perspectives of Ghanaian adolescent students on HPV vaccination. We conducted four focus group discussions with students from School A (n=15), School B (n=20), School C (n=10), and School D (n=14) in the Ashanti Region of Ghana. Ten open-ended questions guided the discussions. Two independent coders transcribed and analyzed the data thematically using NVivo software. Fifty-nine students (mean age: 14.97 years, SD = 1.55) participated. Thematic analysis revealed: (a) low knowledge of HPV and HPV vaccines, but strong general belief in vaccine benefits; (b) barriers such as fear of side effects (e.g., pain, death), misconceptions (e.g., infertility, "destroying the womb"), and vaccine cost; (c) facilitators including perceived vaccine effectiveness, social influences (parents, doctors, friends), school-based education, and altruistic motives; and (d) lack of adolescent-parent communication, though students expressed willingness to initiate conversations when informed. These insights highlight the socio-cultural and informational gaps that may impact vaccine uptake. Findings highlight the urgent need for culturally relevant, school-based HPV education programs in Ghana. Interventions should address common misconceptions, promote adolescent-parent communication, and leverage trusted influencers such as healthcare providers and teachers to improve HPV vaccine acceptance.

During the 2012 vice presidential debate, the two Catholic candidates, Joe Biden and Paul Ryan, were asked an unexpected and loaded question. The debate moderator, Martha Raddatz, asked them to describe the role of their religion in their personal views about abortion.1 Not surprisingly, they were much more prepared to talk about their public policy positions on abortion than this. The moderator’s question inverted the feminist claim that the personal is political and asked politicians about their personal perspectives about abortion. She asked them to first talk about how they arrived at their positions on abortion and then what role their religion played in that. The candidates inverted the topics of abortion and religion by first addressing the role of religion in their lives and then talking about when human life begins. The candidates’ answers each in their own way challenged assumptions within the moderator’s question.KeywordsCatholic Social TeachingDebate ModeratorCatholic BishopCatholic TeachingVatican CouncilThese keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.

To evaluate the effectiveness of a multilevel and multimodal school-based education program. A cluster randomized controlled trial with 14 secondary schools in Hong Kong and a total of 3713 students (intervention: 1545 vs control: 2168; 40.2% boys; mean age ± SD: 14.72 ± 1.53 years) were included in the final analysis. The intervention included a town hall seminar, small class workshops, a slogan competition, a brochure, and an educational Web site. Their parents and teachers were offered sleep education seminars. The control schools did not receive any sleep program. Data were collected before and 5 weeks after the intervention. The students in the intervention group had significantly improved sleep knowledge compared with the control group (mean difference: 3.64 [95% confidence interval (CI): 3.21 to 4.07]; Cohen's d = 0.51) as measured by using a sleep knowledge questionnaire. Weekday sleep duration was reduced in both groups, and the significant difference in weekday sleep duration was lost in the intention-to-treat analysis (mean difference: 0:01 [95% CI: -0:00 to 0:04]). In addition, the intervention group had a lower incidence of consuming caffeine-containing energy drinks (adjusted odds ratio: 0.46 [95% CI: 0.22 to 0.99]) and had better behavioral (mean difference: -0.56 [95% CI: -1.02 to -0.10]; Cohen's d = 0.13) and mental health (mean difference: -0.30 [95% CI: -0.15 to -0.46]; Cohen's d = 0.11) outcomes. A school-based sleep education program was effective in enhancing sleep knowledge and improving behavioral and mental health, but it had no significant impact on sleep duration or pattern among adolescents.