Spine Research

Sex Education among Young Adults to Reduce Sexually Transmitted Infections and Unwanted Pregnancy.

Introduction: Despite greater effectiveness of contraceptive methods, sexually transmitted infections(STIs) still on rise in young adult population 2.8% increase in chlamydia, 5.1% increase in gonorrhea, 15.1% increase in primary and secondary syphilis (Fehring et al., 2017).Fewer than 30% of pediatricians distribute condoms or provide instruction on proper condom use (Schneider et al., 2019).
Research Problem: Advanced practice nurses (APNs) take the lead in providing patient education (Kraus &DuBois, 2017).There are few well-defined rigorous studies on sex education in a young adult population. APNs need to know the state of current knowledge in order to craft effective sex education programs for this population.
Research Purpose: Study will focus on current approaches in sex education, along with their respective effectiveness. Will provide direction on successful sex education efforts, as well as reveal gaps in the research.
Research Question: For sexually active young individuals, does sex education reduce the future risk of STIs and unwanted pregnancy compared with no education
Methodology: Systematic search of the literature using PubMed, Health Source Nursing/Academic Edition, and Google Scholar. Search terms: “+”sex education”, +”sex education intervention” +teen, and +”sex education intervention” +young. Search limited to past five years, scholarly articles, full articles, clinical trials, randomized controlled trials, and meta-analysis or systematic reviews.
Discussions/Conclusions: Well-designed sexual education programs can be effective in young adult population. Design that meets needs and demonstrates relevance most effective. Broad community support essential for such programs

Author(s): Barbara Fleuraguste

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