Perceived Importance of National Sex Education Standards Among Selected College Students

The purpose of this cross-sectional, exploratory study was to investigate which topics under the second edition of the National Sex Education Standards (NSES) were valued and which high school school-based sex education program (abstinence vs. comprehensive) was preferred among selected college students at a mid-sized Southern university. The survey was used to explore what National Sex Education Standards hold the most or least value based on personal beliefs. The survey instrument included every 10th-grade standard from the NSES and demographic questions to determine the perceived importance of each topic within the NSES, as well as differences among groups based on demographics and other variables. Results indicated that the majority of participants perceived all standards and topics as important and preferred that high school students receive a comprehensive sex education curriculum. Findings from this study have implications for curriculum development or expansion, guiding administrators and educators in enhancing the comprehensiveness of high school school-based sex education programs.