RT  - Journal Article
A1  - Situmorang, Trinita
A1  - Alifariki, La Ode
A1  - Lilis, Dewi Nopiska
T1  - Improving Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI) Prevention Knowledge and Attitudes Through Structured Reproductive Health Education Among Secondary School Students
JF  - Journal of Biosciences and Public Health
JO  - J. Biosci. Public Health
YR  - 2026
VO  - 2
IS  - 4
SP  - 403-414
DO  - 10.5455/JBPH.2026.22
AB  - Background: Limited reproductive health information and persistent misconceptions increase adolescents’ vulnerability to sexually transmitted infection (STI) risks. Structured education may improve knowledge and attitudes as proximal outcomes. Objective: To evaluate the effect of a single structured reproductive health education session on adolescents’ knowledge and attitudes toward STI prevention. Methods: This nonrandomized pretest-posttest controlled study included 80 adolescents from eight existing classes (four intervention classes and four control classes; 40 participants per group). The intervention comprised one 60-minute structured reproductive health education session, with immediate posttest assessment. The reported analyses compared individual change scores between groups using independent-samples t-tests and described within-group changes using paired t-tests. Mean differences, 95% confidence intervals, and Cohen's d were reported. These estimates were unadjusted for baseline scores, demographic covariates, and class-level clustering. No numerical ANCOVA or mixed-effects output was supplied. Results: Knowledge increased from 60.01 ± 7.81 to 86.29 ± 12.02 in the intervention group and from 62.19 ± 7.33 to 70.00 ± 10.72 in the control group (unadjusted difference in change 18.47 points; 95% CI 14.45–22.49; p < 0.001; d = 2.05). Attitude increased from 68.02 ± 7.12 to 88.20 ± 12.33 versus 66.02 ± 8.82 to 72.77 ± 11.04 (difference 13.42 points; 95% CI 9.99–16.86; p < 0.001; d = 1.74). Large, standardized effects reflect immediate post-session separation and should not be interpreted as durable educational or behavioral change. Conclusion: A single structured reproductive health education session was associated with larger immediate improvements in STI-prevention knowledge and attitude scores than usual information. This study represents short-term educational responses and does not establish sustained learning, behavior change, or reduced STI incidence.
K1  - Adolescents; Health Education; Reproductive Health; STI; Sexually Transmitted Infections; Sexual Health
SN  - 3104-8749
PB  - 4Green Research Society
LA  - English
LK  - https://www.jbph.org/article/details/improving-sexually-transmitted-infection-sti-prevention-knowledge-and-attitudes-through-structured-reproductive-health-education-among-secondary-school-students