Sources of Information and Adolescent Sexual Knowledge and Behavior

Abstract

Sexual knowledge and behavior and response to peer sex educators were investigated in relation to adolescents' sources of sex information and the quality of communication with parents about sex. Subjects were 113 urban high school students. Although response to the peer educators was not found to be related to prior source of information, most adolescents indicated an adult as their preferred source of information and this trend was particularly strong for virgins. Adolescents who named an adult as their major source of information about sex and birth control were no more knowledgeable than were those who named peers. However, sexually active adolescents who used birth control had significantly better communication with their parents about sex than did sexually active subjects who did not use contraception. The results imply the importance of increasing the quality of parental involvement in sex education efforts.