Date of Award

Spring 2021

Degree Name

Bachelor of Science

Major

Psychology

First Advisor

Dina Anselmi

Second Advisor

Daniel Douglas

Abstract

This study sought to determine the relationship between high school sexual health education programming and subsequent sexual behaviors in high school and college, asking three primary research questions: How does the comprehensiveness of an individual’s sex education program in high school influence their sexual behaviors in high school in terms of frequency, agency, pleasure, and safety? How does the comprehensiveness of an individual’s sex education in high school influence their sexual behaviors in college in terms of frequency, agency, pleasure, and safety? And among those who took sexual health education courses, what is the relationship between curricular characteristics and students’ identities?

This study answered these questions through both qualitative and quantitative means with a survey sent to a collegiate undergraduate population asking students to reflect on their sexual health education participation in high school and subsequent sexual practices in high school and college. There were two primary findings of this study: that more abstinence-plus sex education content was positively correlated with higher frequencies of sexual practices in high school and that the socioeconomic status (SES) of an individual impacted access to the sexual health education programs students experienced in terms of duration and content.

These findings have implications for how we design and implement sexual health education programming across the United States.

Comments

Senior thesis completed at Trinity College, Hartford CT for the degree of Bachelor of Science in Psychology.

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