ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To assess the possibility of reducing the risk of unwanted pregnancy through a controlled intervention program that was based on a sex education workshop. DESIGN: Educational intervention study. SETTING: Newly drafted women in a central absorption army base in Israel. PATIENT(S): One thousand seven hundred ninety-three female draftees in the Israeli Defence Force. INTERVENTION(S): A 2-day workshop on sex education at the beginning of army service. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Rate of unwanted pregnancy. RESULT(S): After 2 years of follow-up, there were approximately 40% fewer unwanted pregnancies among women with a lower socioeconomic and intellectual profile. CONCLUSION(S): Structured intervention programs may reduce significantly the rate of unwanted pregnancy in young women.
PIP: This study evaluates the success of sex education workshops in preventing unwanted pregnancy among 1793 newly drafted women in 1987 in the central absorption army base in Israel. The sex education workshops were held over a 2-day period at the beginning of army service. The study sample included 968 women in the intervention group and 825 controls. The sex education program included information on sexuality, the anatomy and physiology of the reproductive system, contraceptive methods, pregnancy and childbirth, decision making processes, interpersonal relations, pregnancy prevention, sexually transmitted diseases, and personal hygiene. Each of the 4 daily sessions aimed to involve young women in verbal participation on sex-related topics and to correct myths and prejudices. Questionnaires were administered pre and post army service among cases and controls. The extent of unwanted pregnancy was assessed at a point 2 years after induction. During the 2-year study period, 58 women became pregnant. 2.6% in the intervention group and 4% in the control group had unwanted pregnancies. Unwanted pregnancy was significantly higher among controls and among lower socioeconomic groups. The rates of contraceptive use at first intercourse and visiting a gynecologist were higher in the case group than in the control group after the workshops. Logistic models confirmed the statistical significance of the relationship between unwanted pregnancy and the low Caba subscale (education, Hebrew language proficiency, and language and scholastic fluency), low level of language skill, and controls.