. Mahnaz Hatami; . Ashraf Kazemi; . Tayebeh Mehrabi
Volume 5, Issue 5 , December 2015, , Pages 1-6
Abstract
Background: Adolescence is associated with so many changes, and to provide sexual health itis necessary for teenagers to learn enough knowledge about the changes and appropriate healthbehaviors. ...
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Background: Adolescence is associated with so many changes, and to provide sexual health itis necessary for teenagers to learn enough knowledge about the changes and appropriate healthbehaviors. The attraction of sexual issues in teenagers is associated with more conversationsrelated to sexual matters. Therefore, this study has evaluated the effect of organizing theseinteractions using peer education in schools on the knowledge and attitude toward sexual health.Materials and Methods: This was an interventional study conducted on 282 girl teenagersfrom high schools of Isfahan that were divided into two groups of intervention and control.Peer education in the intervention group was done through 35 trained teenagers during normalcommunications in school. Before the training knowledge and attitude of students in bothgroups were evaluated; then peer education was conducted during 6 weeks through normalcommunications on the intervention group and then afterward the knowledge and attitude ofthe students were evaluated again. To analysis of data independent t‑test and paired t‑test wereused. Results: The results showed that the mean score of knowledge and attitudetoward allsexual health dimensions during puberty in the intervention group was significantly higher afterthe intervention (P < 0.05). In addition, there was a significant difference between the meanscore of knowledge and approach toward all the aspects of sexual health of both the studiedgroups. Conclusions: The results showed that using peer education in schools informally couldenhance the knowledge and approach toward aspects of physical health, sexual behaviors,and social and mental changes among female adolescences and could be applied in schools.
