The Impact of a school-based gender-sensitive sexuality education program on adolescents’ sexual knowledge, attitudes, and self-efficacy in Northwest China

Content introduction：

Although emerging evidence underscores the need to improve the effectiveness of sex education programs by integrating gender perspectives, there is a lack of research on this issue in China with the reality of prevailing gender bias and increasing needs for sex education. In this study, we used data from a quasi-experimental intervention research conducted in 2011/12 to examine the impact of a school-based gender-sensitive sex education intervention on Chinese adolescent’s sexual knowledge, attitudes, and self-efficacy. Results show that students in the intervention group have better knowledge and less permissive attitudes toward sexual double standards than those in the control group. Male students in the intervention group also have less stereotypical attitudes toward gender roles than those in the control group. However, there is no difference in sexual decision-making skills among adolescents in these two groups. Factors such as short intervention duration, inadequate teaching methods, and counteracting social influences may contribute to the weak intervention effect on sexual decision-making skills. This study has important implications for developing more effective intervention programs to improve adolescent’s sexual and reproductive well-being.