The effects of the ‘Our Love, Our Control’ online program on sexual health literacy (SHL) and behaviors in preventing unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) among adolescents in agricultural areas during COVID-19 outbreak in Thailand

Abstract

Background: This quasi-experimental study aimed to determine the effects of the ‘Our Love, Our Control’ online program on sexual health literacy and behaviors during the COVID-19 situation in Thailand from February 2020 to September 2021. Methods: Multistage sampling resulted in 37 and 34 participants in the experimental and control groups, respectively. Data were collected by a self-administered questionnaire. Descriptive statistics, Fisher’s exact test/Chi-square test, and independent t-test/Mann-Whitney test were used to determine differences in sociodemographic variables between the experimental and control groups. Repeated measures of ANCOVA were used to compare the mean and 95% confidence intervals of the adjusted variables. Results: From the results, adolescents who had sexual intercourse experience had statistically significant differences at the eighth week of score for behaviors (23.92; 95% CI: 16.56; 31.29), and at the eighth and at the twentieth week of score for sexual health literacy (43.55; 95% CI: 28.10; 59.00; and 19.35; 95% CI: 0.23; 38.48, respectively). However, adolescents who had no sexual intercourse experience had statistically significant differences only at the eighth week of score for sexual health literacy. (11.20; 95% CI: 3.79; 18.61). Conclusions: These findings present a useful practical program to prevent unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases, especially in sexually active adolescents.