Abstract
Objectives
This study examines receipt of formal sex education as a potential mechanism that
may explain the observed associations between disability status and contraceptive
use among young women with disabilities.
Study design
Using the 2011−2017 National Survey of Family Growth, we analyzed data from 2861 women
aged 18 to 24 years, who experienced voluntary first sexual intercourse with a male
partner. Women whose first intercourse was involuntary (7% of all women reporting
sexual intercourse) were excluded from the analytic sample. Mediation analysis was
used to estimate the indirect effect of receipt of formal sex education before first sexual intercourse on the association between disability status and contraceptive
use at first intercourse.
Results
Compared to nondisabled women, women with cognitive disabilities were less likely
to report receipt of instruction in each of 6 discrete formal sex education topics
and received instruction on a fewer number of topics overall (B = −0.286, 95% CI = −0.426 to −0.147), prior to first voluntary intercourse. In turn,
the greater number of topics received predicted an increased likelihood of contraceptive
use at first voluntary intercourse among these women (B = 0.188, 95% CI = 0.055−0.321). No significant association between noncognitive disabilities
and receipt of formal sex education or contraceptive use at first intercourse was
observed.
Conclusions
Given the positive association between formal sex education and contraceptive use
among young adult women with and without disabilities, ongoing efforts to increase
access to formal sex education are needed. Special attention is needed for those women
with cognitive disabilities.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: December 22, 2020
Accepted:
December 17,
2020
Received in revised form:
December 14,
2020
Received:
January 28,
2020
Identification
Copyright
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