Many scholars and practitioners have advocated for a more ecological approach to sexual health promotion for adolescents, such as one that includes involvement from schools, parents, and community organizations. Although extensive research has been conducted with schools and parents, little is known about the roles community-based organizations (CBOs) may play in the education and promotion of sexual health to young people. This study aimed to (a) identify the types of sexual health and sexuality-related questions asked by youth and programming/services, resources, and referrals currently being provided by CBOs; (b) explore the approaches used by CBOs when developing and implementing sexual health promotion programs; and (c) compare these findings with those from a similar study on school teachers, counselors, and nurses within the same state. Data collected from 169 people working in CBOs indicate that a wide variety of topics were covered by CBOs through programming and services, resources, and/or referral protocols. Topics covered varied in frequency. Overall, participants indicated a relatively comprehensive and accessible approach to providing sexuality information to youth. The results of this study suggest that CBOs should be included in the range of sources to be used for comprehensive sexual health promotion. If such organizations are supported with information, training, and resources, they could play a valuable role in the promotion of sexual health for adolescents.
AlsteadM.CampsmithM.HalleyC. S.HartfieldK.GoldbaumG.WoodR. W. (1999). Developing, implementing, and evaluating a condom promotion program targeting sexually active adolescents. AIDS Education and Prevention, 11, 497-512.
2.
BandieraF. C.JeffriesW. L.DodgeB.ReeceM.HerbenickD. (2008). Regional differences in sexuality education on a state level: The case of Florida. Sex Education, 8, 451-463.
3.
BleakleyA.HennessyM.FishbeinM. (2006). Public opinion on sex education in US schools. Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, 160, 1151-1156.
4.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2007a). 2006 Sexually transmitted disease surveillance report. Atlanta, GA: Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
5.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2007b). Trends in reportable sexually transmitted diseases in the United States, 2006. Atlanta, GA: Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
6.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2008). HIV/AIDS surveillance report, 2006. Atlanta, GA: Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
ClarkC. A.BaldwinK. L.TannerA. E. (2006). A statewide survey of the nature and scope of sexuality communication in Indiana. American Journal of Sexuality Education, 1, 25-46.
9.
ConstantineN. A.JermanP.HuangA. X. (2007). California parents’ preferences and beliefs regarding school-based sex education policy. Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health, 39, 167-175.
10.
DodgeB.ZachryK.ReeceM.LopezE. D. S.HerbenickD.GantK.. . . MartinezO. (2008). Sexuality education in Florida: Content, context, and controversy. American Journal of Sexuality Education, 3, 183-209.
11.
Facts on sex education in the United States. (2006). Washington DC: Guttmacher Institute.
12.
FisherC. M. (2009). Queer youth experiences with abstinence-only until marriage sexuality education: “I can’t get married so where does that leave me?”Journal of LGBT Youth, 6, 61-79.
13.
FisherC. M.ReeceM.DodgeB.WrightE.Sherwood-LaughlinC.BaldwinK. (2010). Expanding our reach: The potential for youth development professionals in community-based organizations to provide sexuality information. American Journal of Sexuality Education, 5, 36-53.
14.
GoldR. B. (2006). Rekindling efforts to prevent unplanned pregnancy: A matter of ‘equity and common sense’. Guttmacher Policy Review, 9(3), 2-7.
15.
HallI. H.SongR.RhodesP.PrejeanJ.AnQ.LeeL. M.. . . JanssenR. S. (2008). Estimation of HIV incidence in the United States. Journal of the American Medical Association, 300, 520-529.
16.
HamdallahM.VargoS.HerreraJ. (2006). The VOICES/VOCES success story: effective strategies for training, technical assistance and community-based organization implementation. AIDS Education and Prevention, 18(4 Suppl A), 171-183.
17.
IrvineJ. (2002). Talk about sex: The battles over sex education in the United States. Berkeley: University of California Press.
18.
IsraelB. A.SchulzA. J.ParkerE. A.BeckerA. B. (1998). Review of community-based research: Assessing partnership approaches to improve health. Annual Review of Public Health, 19, 173-202.
19.
ItzhakyH.YorkA. S. (2001). Child sexual abuse and incest: Community-based intervention. Child Abuse & Neglect, 25, 960-972.
20.
KramerJ. S.PhilliberS.BrindisC. D.KaminS. L.ChadwickA. E.RevelsM. L.. . . ValderramaL. T. (2005). Coalition models: Lessons learned from the CDC’s Community Coalition Partnership Programs for the Prevention of Teen Pregnancy. Journal of Adolescent Health, 37(3 Suppl), S20-S30.
21.
LandryD. J.KaeserL.RichardsC. L. (1999). Abstinence promotion and the provision of information about contraception in public school district sexuality education policies. Family Planning Perspectives, 31, 280-286.
22.
LandryD. J.SinghS.DarrochJ. E. (2000). Sexuality education in fifth and sixth grades in U.S. public schools, 1999. Family Planning Perspectives, 32, 212-219.
23.
LukerK. (2006). When sex goes to school: Warring views on sex—and sex education—since the sixties (1st ed.). New York, NY: W. W. Norton.
24.
MoranJ. P. (2000). Teaching sex: The shaping of adolescence in the 20th century. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
25.
National Guidelines Task Force. (2004). Guidelines for Comprehensive Sexuality Education: Kindergarten through 12th grade (3rd ed.). New York, NY: Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States. Retrieved from http://www.siecus.org/_data/global/images/guidelines.pdf
26.
Office of the Surgeon General. (2001). Surgeon General’s call to action to promote sexual health and responsible sexual behavior. Rockville, MD: Author.
27.
OkwumabuaJ. O.GloverV.BoldenD.EdwardsS. (2001). Perspectives of low-income African Americans on syphilis and HIV: Implications for prevention. Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved, 12, 474-489.
28.
OlivaG.RienksJ.UdohI.SmithC. D. (2005). A university and community-based organization collaboration to build capacity to develop, implement, and evaluate an innovative HIV prevention intervention for an urban African American population. AIDS Education & Prevention, 17, 300-316.
29.
PanchaudC.SinghS.FeivelsonD.DarrochJ. (2000). Sexually transmitted diseases among adolescents in developed countries. Family Planning Perspectives, 32, 24-32.
30.
ReeceM.DodgeB. (2004). A study in sexual health applying the principles of community-based participatory research. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 33, 235-247.
31.
SinghS.DarrochJ. (2000). Adolescent pregnancy and childbearing: Levels and trends in developed countries. Family Planning Perspectives, 32, 14-23.
32.
SmithB. D.BrideB. E. (2004). Positive impact: A community-based mental health center for people affected by HIV. Health & Social Work, 29, 145-148.
33.
TannerA.ReeceM.LegockiL.MurrayM. (2007). Informal sexuality education in schools: Student’s sexuality-related questions asked of public school personnel. American Journal of Sexuality Education, 2, 79-96.
34.
WallersteinN.DuranB. (2003). The conceptual, historical, and practice roots of community-based participatory research and related participatory traditions. In MinklerM.WallersteinN. (Eds.), Community-based participatory research for health. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
35.
YarberW.MilhausenR.CrosbyR.TorabiM. (2005). Public opinion about condoms for HIV and STD prevention: A Midwestern state telephone survey. Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health, 37, 148-154.
