Adolescent Sexual Behavior in China: Evaluating the Impact of a Sex Education and Reproductive Health Service Program in Suburban Shanghai

Bo Wang, University of Wisconsin at Madison
Sara Hertog, University of Wisconsin at Madison

This paper evaluates the impact of a sex education and reproductive health service program, the first of it's kind to be implemented in China, on the behavioral patterns of unmarried youth aged 15-24 in suburban Shanghai. The program provided sex-related knowledge and contraceptive services through six types of intervention measures. We employ chi-square tests and logistic regression to compare the results of surveys conducted among intervention and control groups both prior to and after the completion of the 20-month program. Preliminary results indicate that while the program did not significantly deter sexual initiation among Shanghai adolescents, it was successful in decreasing rates of sexual coercion and increasing the likelihood of consistent contraceptive use among youth who engage in sexual behavior. Furthermore, the program appears to have had some deterrent effect on premarital pregnancy. These results underscore the potential for programs of this kind to influence adolescent sexual behavior in China.