This study examined associations between school district sexual health education and adolescent birth and sexually transmitted infection (STI) rates in Arkansas. School district curriculum survey data from 2024–2025 were linked with county-level birth and STI surveillance data for youth aged 15–19 years. Gamma regression models adjusted for poverty and urban–rural classification. Districts teaching sexual health education had lower STI and teen birth rates than districts without curriculum. In adjusted analyses, sexual health education was associated with a 17% lower STI rate and a 12% lower teen birth rate. Findings support the role of school-based sexual health education in improving adolescent health outcomes.
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Jayroe et al. (2026) studied this question.
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