Live Poster Session: Zoom Link
Abstract: According to a World Health Organization 2024 report, there has been an alarming decline in adolescent condom use thus leading to an increase in sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and unintended pregnancies. Condoms are the cheapest and most widely available form of contraceptives, which also significantly reduce the risk of STIs. A successful public health system focuses on preventive health and improving sexual health in adolescents and young adults is one of the ways to reduce the spread of preventable infections. Understanding the factors that affect sexual health decisions, especially condom use, may be a stepping-stone towards mitigating risky sexual behavior and thus lead to effective public health systems. There is extensive research on sexual education that has shown how an increase in knowledge is positively associated with the likelihood to use a condom during sexual intercourse. Using the responses to a contraceptive knowledge quiz, representative of retained sexual health knowledge, the study aimed at investigating its association with condom use. Individuals older than 15 and sexually active (n=541) were drawn from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (ADDHEALTH), a representative survey of adolescents in the U.S. between the years 1994 and 2008. The results revealed that there was a significant association between Contraceptive Knowledge Quiz Score and Condom Use (OR = 1.1129, p = 0.0318). Additionally, controlling for gender still showed a significant association between Contraceptive Knowledge Quiz Score and Condom Use (OR 1.18, p = 0.019) and a multivariate logistic regression revealed that gender was not a moderator of the relationship. Further research would include determining whether formal or informal education programs are more effective to inform public health policies on the most beneficial ways to combat risky sexual behavior in adolescents.
QAC-Poster-1