Table 2. Percentage of fifth- and sixth-grade sexuality education teachers who cover specific skills and topics, by grade, 1999 |
Skills and topics |
Total |
Teaches grade 5 |
Teaches grade 6 |
Teaches both grades |
(N=617) |
(N=305) |
(N=153) |
(N=159) |
Skills and relationships |
How alcohol and drugs affect behavior |
76.0 |
73.0 |
83.0 |
72.5 |
How to stick with a decision, even under pressure |
75.1 |
69.8 |
82.2 |
77.8 |
How to resist peer pressure to have sexual intercourse |
48.9 |
30.6 |
68.3 |
67.4 |
How to recognize and resist media pressure regarding sexual behavior |
33.3 |
21.5 |
44.3 |
47.8 |
How to say no to a boyfriend/girlfriend who wants to have sexual intercourse |
30.0 |
16.8 |
41.0 |
49.3 |
Specific ways to avoid sex |
23.8 |
10.6 |
36.6 |
41.0 |
The importance of both partners agreeing to any sexual behavior |
21.9 |
10.3 |
34.9 |
32.7 |
How to negotiate sexual limits |
0.6 |
0.3 |
0.2 |
2.2 |
Sexuality |
Sexuality is a natural and healthy part of life |
66.2 |
59.9 |
74.2 |
70.4 |
Negative consequences of sexual intercourse |
for teenagers |
46.0 |
30.1 |
66.7 |
55.4 |
Difference between consensual and forced sexual contact |
24.6 |
12.9 |
38.1 |
34.8 |
STD/HIV |
Sexual abstinence as a form of prevention |
58.0 |
40.9 |
77.7 |
75.2 |
Symptoms of STDs/HIV are sometimes hidden, absent or unnoticed |
50.6 |
36.3 |
66.5 |
65.7 |
There are many types of STDs |
48.4 |
31.9 |
70.7 |
57.4 |
Only some STDs are curable |
44.2 |
27.5 |
66.5 |
53.8 |
Signs and symptoms of STDs/HIV |
40.6 |
27.7 |
56.6 |
51.0 |
Sexual monogamy as a form of prevention |
29.8 |
13.8 |
48.6 |
44.4 |
Use of condoms as a form of prevention |
27.2 |
17.7 |
38.8 |
34.7 |
STDs/HIV can be contracted during oral or anal intercourse |
15.7 |
8.0 |
22.1 |
27.1 |
Birth control |
Pregnancies should be planned |
19.1 |
10.1 |
29.4 |
28.2 |
The importance of using both a condom and a more effective birth control method to avoid both pregnancy and STDs/HIV |
8.5 |
5.6 |
11.9 |
10.4 |
The importance of using a method correctly and consistently |
7.6 |
3.9 |
10.7 |
13.0 |
How individual birth control methods work |
6.4 |
3.6 |
8.7 |
10.0 |
Notes: All Ns are unweighted. Teachers were asked whether they taught topics and skills, but not whether they taught a given topic or skill in each grade. Presented here are the proportions of teachers teaching these topics and skills according to the grade level they taught (fifth grade, sixth grade or both fifth and sixth grade). Teachers classified as teaching both fifth and sixth grade may actually cover some topics only in fifth grade or only in sixth grade. |