High-risk adolescents’ sexuality education preferences based on Hispanic ethnicity

ABSTRACTIn the USA, persons of Hispanic ethnicity experience higher rates of adolescent pregnancy and STIs than non-Hispanic white youth and there exists a lack of research concerning the sexuality education preferences of Hispanic adolescents. This study describes sexual health education preferences by Hispanic ethnicity among a high-risk sample of young people aged 14–20 years in Texas. Data were collected from participants in a teenage pregnancy prevention programme. Questions included preferred topics, provider of information and learning modality. Just over half of the participants was Hispanic (60%), nearly all participants were sexually experienced (96%) and more than half had been pregnant or caused a pregnancy (66%). Hispanic participants were significantly less likely to want to learn about sexual health from parents compared to non-Hispanic participants. Hispanic participants were also significantly less likely to prefer to learn about puberty and adolescent development, or to select role-playi...