Putting the “f” in efficacy

A recently published study adds to the already convincing argument that teens need way more than preachy calls for abstinence or anatomically correct lessons about sexual plumbing; they need comprehensive sex education.

Researchers from the Bradley Hasbro Children's Research Center and the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University studied 222 adolescents between the ages of 13 and 18 with non-psychotic psychiatric disorders and found that feelings matter when it comes to making decisions about safe sex. Specifically, the findings suggest that lack of self-efficacy (the belief that one could effectively engage in a particular behavior) when confronted with the stress of using condoms is a powerful barrier to their use.

"We found that adolescents need help feeling more comfortable and less distressed about discussing and using condoms," lead author Celia Lescano said in a prepared statement.

In other words just teaching youth about how to use condoms, and even making condoms easily available isn’t enough to get all youth using them. Or put another way, youth behave just like the rest of us; in ways that defy logic and are determined by many factors including how we feel about our own abilities to act in specific ways.

This reminds me of another recent story about youth and condoms from Brazil. Apparently the Ministry of Health decided to install condom vending machines in schools as part of their HIV prevention efforts. As a sexual health educator I would say increased access to condoms is always a good thing (and I’d remind everyone that research shows it doesn’t increase sexual activity). But former Health Minister and presidential candidate Cristovam Buarque wrote a compelling editorial arguing that the government is copping out with the condom machines; neglecting their duty to protect youth by providing not only the means to engage in safer sex, but supporting their intellectual and emotional development that will likely lead to more responsible and safer sex practices.

Of course in the US these debates seem luxurious in the face of a government that ignores public health research and the beliefs and values of its own population. Maybe one day we’ll get to argue whether condom machines in schools is enough, and what the best way is to prepare youth for the emotional aspects of adult sexuality. For now we have to argue that teachers should be allowed to say the word “condom” in the first place.

Read more - Lifespan.org: Unsafe Sex: Do Feelings Matter?

Previously – Is Sex Ed. Enough? ; What's Behind the Drop in Teen Pregnancy in the U.S.? ; Over $1 Billion Spent on Abstinence-Only Sex Education Since 1998 ; Guess What You Won't Be Hearing About? ; Medical Students to Hear about Abstinence, Whether They Like it or Not. ; New Abstinence Only Guidelines Reach New Low