Family Planning Perspectives /Volume 32, No. 6, September/October 2000

TABLES

Changing Emphases in Sexuality Education
In U.S. Public Secondary Schools, 1988-1999

Table 1. Percentage distribution of sexuality education teachers, by specific topic cited as the most important message they wanted to convey to students, and the percentage who said a topic was one of their three most important messages, both according to year
Topic 1988 1999
Most important
Abstinence 24.8 41.4***
Responsibility 38.0 20.9***
Reproductive facts 9.2 13.2***
STDs/AIDS 11.6 10.0
Self-esteem 4.0 3.6
Change is normal 2.0 2.7
Contraception 4.8 1.5***
Puberty u 1.4
Other 5.6 5.3
Total 100.0 100.0
Among three most important
Abstinence 36.8 56.2***
Responsibility 68.3 51.9***
Reproductive facts 19.8 28.2***
STDs/AIDS 35.3 44.5***
Self-esteem 9.4 11.9*
Change is normal 4.9 5.7
Contraception 21.9 15.0***
Puberty u 4.4
*Significantly different from 1988 at p<.05. **Significantly different from 1988 at p<.01.***Significantly different from 1988 at p<.001. Note: u=unavailable; question not asked.

back to text

Table 2. Percentage of sexuality education teachers in grades 7-12 who thought specific topics should be taught by a specified grade, by topic, according to year
Topic 1988 1999
<=grade 7 <=grade 12 <=grade 5 <=grade 7 <=grade 12
Puberty u u 80.5 97.9 99.7
How HIV is transmitted 86.9 99.9 47.2 91.4*** 99.6
STDs 76.8 100.0 28.6 87.6*** 99.6*
How to resist peer pressure to have sexual intercourse u u 29.0 88.3 99.2
Implications of teenage parenthood 62.4 100.0 16.6 78.0*** 99.2**
Abstinence from intercourse 78.7 96.6 33.4 90.0*** 99.2***
Dating u u 25.0 85.3 99.0
Sexual abuse u u 75.6 93.4 98.9
Nonsexual ways to show affection u u 41.5 87.7 97.9
Birth control methods 56.6 99.0 7.8 51.0** 93.4***
Abortion--factual information 45.4 98.3 6.4 41.3* 89.0***
Where to go for birth control 49.5 97.7 5.4 42.9*** 88.8***
Abortion--ethical issues 36.9 91.7 5.4 37.1 84.4***
Correct way to use a condom u u 5.1 38.3 82.0
Sexual orientation† 53.6 95.0 10.7 39.4*** 77.8***
*Significantly different from 1988 at p<.05. **Significantly different from 1988 at p<.01. ***Significantly different from 1988 at p<.001. †In the 1988 survey, this topic was labeled "homosexuality"; in 1999, it was labeled "sexual orientation/homosexuality." Note: u=unavailable; question not asked.

back to text

Table 3. Percentage of all sampled teachers reporting that sexuality education was taught in their school, and percentage of sexuality education teachers who reported coverage of specific topics, by grade, according to topic taught, 1988 and 1999
Topic and year Taught in school† Taught by teacher
7 8 9 10 11 12
1999
Any sexuality education† 93.4** 64.1** 66.6** 62.5 69.1 51.4 49.2
Puberty 80.1 70.3 58.9 74.2 60.7 54.7 52.4
How HIV is transmitted 93.5 73.0** 74.5 87.9*** 74.7*** 70.3*** 67.9***
STDs 95.2*** 74.3*** 79.3*** 86.9*** 75.3 70.9 68.2
How to resist peer pressure to have sexual intercourse 85.7*** 70.4*** 73.5*** 82.4*** 64.1 62.5* 59.9
Implications of teenage parenthood 88.4 63.9 74.1 82.2 68.5 66.3 64.0
Abstinence from intercourse 95.2* 73.1*** 74.5*** 87.2*** 70.9** 67.9* 66.2**
Dating 80.7 69.3 70.9 76.8 57.8 58.2 55.7
Sexual abuse 78.2 58.2 62.1 76.0 61.1 59.6 58.9
Nonsexual ways to show affection 76.8 62.1 65.1 74.8 58.2 57.9 55.4
Birth control methods 77.2*** 33.3*** 52.5** 76.3 66.0*** 67.1*** 63.7***
Abortion--factual information 63.0*** 22.6 35.7 62.6 57.0 57.1 54.0
Where to go for birth control 64.9 23.6 41.7 67.5 57.7 57.7 54.4
Abortion--ethical issues 57.4*** 19.5 32.0 57.9 53.4 52.5 50.2
Correct way to use a condom 52.8* 16.3*** 29.9*** 55.1*** 47.3*** 48.0*** 44.1***
Sexual orientation‡ 51.3*** 20.9 36.7 50.3 43.4 44.0 40.3
1988
Any sexuality education† 89.8 56.6 54.9 61.8 67.2 50.2 49.4
How HIV is transmitted 94.0 63.5 69.7 81.0 85.8 83.4 84.8
STDs 82.1 46.4 50.6 68.2 76.0 70.9 72.3
How to resist peer pressure to have sexual intercourse 79.3 35.5 41.7 58.4 61.4 57.1 57.3
Abstinence from intercourse 89.4 56.8 60.9 74.7 78.5 74.0 74.0
Birth control methods 91.5 57.7 64.4 78.4 83.2 80.8 81.0
Abortion--factual information 82.9 u u u u u u
Abortion--ethical issues 76.7 u u u u u u
Proper way to use a condom 48.5 7.7 9.6 25.7 31.1 29.0 28.6
Sexual orientation‡ 68.5 u u u u u u
*Significantly different from 1988 at p<.05. **Significantly different from 1988 at p<.01. ***Significantly different from 1988 at p<.001. †The percentages in this row or column are based on the responses of all sampled teachers; all other, item-specific results are based on the responses of sexuality education teachers. ‡In the 1988 survey, this topic was labled "homosexuality"; in 1999, it was labed "sexual orientation/homosexuality." Note: u=unavailable; question not asked.

back to text

Table 4. Percentage of sexuality education teachers who taught specific skills and concepts, by year and approach to teaching abstinence
Skills and concepts Year Approach to teaching abstinence
1988 1999 Only option Best/one option
STD/HIV facts and prevention† u 89.5 90.1 92.9
There are many types of STDs u 94.7 96.6 96.9
Sexual abstinence as a form of prevention 91.2 94.6*** 98.7 98.1
Symptoms of STDs/HIV are sometimes hidden,absent or unnoticed u 93.6 95.9 95.5
Only some STDs are curable u 91.7 93.1 94.7
Signs and symptoms of STDs/HIV 92.4 91.7 93.7 94.2
STDs/HIV can be contracted during oral or anal intercourse u 80.4 76.5 85.2***
Sexual monogamy as a form of prevention 81.2 80.1 76.3 85.4***
Sexual behavior and abstinence† u 75.4 78.5 78.5
How alcohol and drugs affect behavior u 91.2 93.0 93.4
Negative consequences of sexual intercourse for teenagers 86.1 91.1*** 94.2 94.3
How to resist peer pressure to have sexual intercourse 79.3 85.7*** 93.0 89.7*
Sexuality is a natural and healthy part of life u 83.1 82.6 86.6
How to stick with a decision, even under pressure u 80.4 86.3 81.5*
How to say no to a boyfriend/girlfriend who wants to have sexual intercourse 78.4 77.0 85.5 79.2**
Specific ways to avoid sex u 70.0 76.9 72.2
Difference between consensual and forced sexual contact u 68.7 70.5 72.4
The importance of both partners agreeing to any sexual behavior u 68.2 65.5 73.4**
How to recognize and resist media pressure regarding sexual behavior u 67.4 70.3 70.5
How to negotiate sexual limits u 47.1 45.9 50.5
STD/HIV services† u 66.5 63.2 71.2**
Importance of notifying all sexual partners if infected 86.4 78.1*** 76.7 82.1*
Confidential testing and treatment is availablefor teenagers without parental consent u 62.7 55.3 68.6***
Names of clinics or other specific sources students can go to for help 64.8 58.7*** 57.6 63.0
Methods for pregnancy and infection prevention† u 52.0 38.7 59.4***
Use of condoms as a form of STD/HIV prevention 88.9 78.0*** 59.9 87.8***
Pregnancies should be planned u 62.6 56.9 68.5***
The importance of using a method correctly and consistently u 61.8 47.0 70.5***
How individual birth control methods work 70.5 60.3*** 45.9 68.2***
The importance of using both a condom and a more effective birth control method to avoid both pregnancy and STDs/HIV u 60.2 45.6 68.6***
Which methods can be purchased at a drug, grocery or convenience store and which methods require a doctor or clinic visit u 50.3 34.4 58.5***
How to communicate with a sexual partner about birth control 46.4 47.0 37.5 53.2***
Information about specific clinics or doctors students can go to for birth control 48.5 35.3*** 24.7 41.4***
The proper way to use a condom (using printed material, film or demonstration) 36.8 33.4 17.8 40.4***
Showing of actual birth control devices 33.8 30.8 17.4 36.8***
*p<.05. **p<.01. ***p<.001. †Percentages are averages of all items in this group. Averages for 1988 are not calculated because data are not available for many items. Note: u=unavailable; question not asked.

back to text


Table 5. Percentage distribution of sexuality education teachers, by how they teach about the effectiveness of contraceptive methods and how they teach abstinence
Effectiveness Total Approach to teaching abstinence
Only option Best/one option Not taught
Effective 60.3 9.1 49.9 1.4
Ineffective 27.5 9.8 17.6 0.1
Not taught 12.2 4.4 4.4 3.3
Total 100.0 23.3 71.9 4.8
Note: The category "effective" includes teachers who taught that birth control can be an effective means of preventing pregnancy or that condoms can be an effective means of preventing STDs/HIV. The category includes teachers who taught only one of these two topics, but taught it as effective, and it does not include any teachers who responded that birth control or condoms are ineffective. The category "ineffective" includes teachers who responded that they emphasize the ineffectiveness of birth control in preventing pregnancy or teach that condoms are ineffective in preventing STDs/HIV. It includes teachers who taught only one of those two topics but taught that it was ineffective. The category "not taught" includes teachers who did not cover the effectiveness of either birth control or condoms.

back to text




Statement of Accuracy/User Agreement

© copyright 2000, The Alan Guttmacher Institute.


about | | e-mail list | feedback | help | home | search | support us