The Association between Sex Education(s) and Adolescent Sexual Health Knowledge in the U.S.

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Alison Hojlo

Alison Hojlo is a junior at Wesleyan University majoring in Sociology and minoring in Education Studies. On campus, she works with Adolescent Sexual Health Awareness (ASHA) and has engaged in previous research on sex education pedagogy. She is interested in interrogating how the design and execution of K-12 curricula can impact the success of a students’ knowledge acquisition and inform their perception of the unknown.

Abstract: This study examines the relationship between sexual health education and adolescents’ sexual health knowledge in the United States, where the lack of federal educational standards—since education is not enumerated as a Constitutional right—results in inconsistent curricula across school districts. Using data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Adolescent Health (Add Health), it analyzes the impact of school-based instruction and peer-to-peer learning on knowledge acquisition. Preliminary findings suggest a subtle positive association between exposure to sexual health education and higher scores on the Add Health sexual health knowledge quiz. Especially in light of the current political climate where education at large is threatened, much less sex education, these results highlight the need for standardized, comprehensive federal guidelines to ensure equitable and effective (sex) education nationwide.