Evaluation of “Big Decisions”: An Abstinence-Plus Sexuality Curriculum

Abstract

This study examines the effectiveness of Big Decisions, a sexuality curriculum developed to promote abstinence, as well as condom and contraceptive use, while overcoming school districts' concern about controversy surrounding sex education. The authors used a pre- and post-test survey design to measure changes in attitudes, self-efficacy, and behavioral intentions regarding sex, pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases, and condom use. The sample for this analysis included 788 inner-city 9th-grade students, the majority of which (78.4%) were Hispanic. Pre- to posttest data comparisons demonstrated improvement in mean scores for each item, with statistically significant changes for 11 of the 12 items measured. The male participants' pretest responses reflected higher risk status than did those of female participants. A large majority (87.8%) of students rated the program as “great” or “good”. The results suggest that Big Decisions provides a promising approach to reaching minority students with both abstinence and risk-reduction messages.

Notes

*p ≤ .05.

**p ≤ .01 (two-tailed).

*p ≤ .05.

**p ≤ .01 (two tailed).