Condom Availability Programs in Massachusetts High Schools: Relationships With Condom Use and Sexual Behavior

Blake, Susan; Ledsky, Rebecca; Goodenow, Carol; Sawyer, Richard; Lohrmann, David K.; Windsor, Richard A.

doi:10.2105/ajph.93.6.955

Cited by 95 publications

(85 citation statements)

References 51 publications

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“…71,72 Research has definitively found that giving teenagers increased access to birth control through advertising does not make them sexually active at a younger age. [73][74][75][76][77][78][79][80] American advertising also frequently uses female models who are anorectic in appearance and, thus, may contribute to the development of a distorted body selfimage and abnormal eating behaviors in young girls. 79,81,82 …”

Section: Sex In Advertisingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Children, Adolescents, and Advertising

Strasburger¹

2006

Pediatrics

124

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Advertising is a pervasive influence on children and adolescents. Young people view more than 40 000 ads per year on television alone and increasingly are being exposed to advertising on the Internet, in magazines, and in schools. This exposure may contribute significantly to childhood and adolescent obesity, poor nutrition, and cigarette and alcohol use. Media education has been shown to be effective in mitigating some of the negative effects of advertising on children and adolescents. INTRODUCTIONSeveral European countries forbid or severely curtail advertising to children; in the United States, on the other hand, selling to children is simply "business as usual." 1 The average young person views more than 3000 ads per day on television (TV), on the Internet, on billboards, and in magazines. 2 Increasingly, advertisers are targeting younger and younger children in an effort to establish "brand-name preference" at as early an age as possible. 3 This targeting occurs because advertising is a $250 billion/year industry with 900 000 brands to sell, 2 and children and adolescents are attractive consumers: teenagers spend $155 billion/year, children younger than 12 years spend another $25 billion, and both groups influence perhaps another $200 billion of their parents' spending per year. 4,5 Increasingly, advertisers are seeking to find new and creative ways of targeting young consumers via the Internet, in schools, and even in bathroom stalls. 1 THE EFFECTS OF ADVERTISING ON CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTSResearch has shown that young children-younger than 8 years-are cognitively and psychologically defenseless against advertising. 6-9 They do not understand the notion of intent to sell and frequently accept advertising claims at face value. 10 In fact, in the late 1970s, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) held hearings, reviewed the existing research, and came to the conclusion that it was unfair and deceptive to advertise to children younger than 6 years. 11 What kept the FTC from banning such ads was that it was thought to be impractical to implement such a ban. 11 However, some Western countries have done exactly that: Sweden and Norway forbid all advertising directed at children younger than 12 years, Greece bans toy advertising until after 10 PM, and Denmark and Belgium severely restrict advertising aimed at children. 12 www.pediatrics.org/cgi

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Section: Sex In Advertisingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Children, Adolescents, and Advertising

Strasburger¹

2006

Pediatrics

124

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“…[66][67][68] Eight peer-reviewed, controlled clinical trials have revealed that giving teenagers freer access to condoms does not increase their sexual activity or encourage virginal teenagers to begin having sex, but it does increase the use of condoms among those who are already sexually active. [69][70][71][72][73][74][75][76] Advertising condoms, birth control pills, and emergency contraception on TV and radio could further decrease the teen pregnancy rate. Yet, several networks refuse such advertisements.…”

Section: Contraceptive Advertisingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sexuality, Contraception, and the Media

Strasburger¹

2010

Pediatrics

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From a health viewpoint, early sexual activity among US adolescents is a potential problem because of the risk of pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections. New evidence points to the media adolescents use frequently (television, music, movies, magazines, and the Internet) as important factors in the initiation of sexual intercourse. There is a major disconnect between what mainstream media portray-casual sex and sexuality with no consequences-and what children and teenagers need-straightforward information about human sexuality and the need for contraception when having sex. Television, film, music, and the Internet are all becoming increasingly sexually explicit, yet information on abstinence, sexual responsibility, and birth control remains rare. It is unwise to promote "abstinence-only" sex education when it has been shown to be ineffective and when the media have become such an important source of information about "nonabstinence." Recommendations are presented to help pediatricians address this important issue. Pediatrics 2010;126:576-582 INTRODUCTIONEarly sexual activity among teenagers can be problematic. According to the 2009 Youth Risk Behavior Survey, 46% of all high school seniors have had sexual intercourse, and 14% have had 4 partners or more. 1 Although pregnancy rates have generally been decreasing since 1991, the United States still has the highest teen pregnancy rate in the Western world, 2 and for the first time in 15 years, the birth rate increased 3% from 2005 to 2006. 3 Early intercourse also increases the risk of contracting a sexually transmitted infection (STI), including HIV, and adolescents have one of the highest STI rates of any age group. 4 Although 15-to 24-year-olds account for only one-quarter of the sexually active population in the United States, they contract nearly half of all new STIs every year. 4 A recent study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention revealed that 1 in 4 teenagers has had an STI. 5 Ten percent of young women who had first had sex in their teenage years reported that their first time was involuntary, and the younger they were, the more likely that was the case. 6 WHAT CHILDREN AND TEENAGERS LEARN FROM THE MEDIAAmerican children and teenagers spend more than 7 hours/day with a variety of different media. 7 Those media are filled with sexual messages and images, many of which are unrealistic. 2 On television (TV), which remains the predominant medium in terms of time spent for all young people, more than 75% of prime-time programs contain sexual THE COUNCIL ON COMMUNICATIONS AND MEDIA

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“…A number of studies have shown delay of onset of sexual initiation (e.g., Coyle, Kirby, Marin, Gómez, & Gregorish, 2004), whereas other programs have led to significant increases in condom use in populations including heterosexually active individuals (see Johnson, Carey, Marsh, Levin, & Scott-Sheldon, 2003;Neumann et al, 2002, for reviews). However, most of these interventions have been implemented in small-group (e.g., Belza et al, 2001), school (e.g., Blake et al, 2003;Gallant & Maticka-Tyndale, 2004), or individuallevel clinical settings (e.g., Morrison-Beedy & Lewis, 2001). Mass media campaigns, such as televised public service announcement (PSA) campaigns, have recently been shown to be highly effective in changing a variety of behaviors (Hornik, 2002;Noar, 2006) 2001).…”

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confidence: 99%

Effects of a Televised Two-City Safer Sex Mass Media Campaign Targeting High-Sensation-Seeking and Impulsive-Decision-Making Young Adults

et al. 2007

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This study evaluates the ability of a safer sex televised public service announcement (PSA) campaign to increase safer sexual behavior among at-risk young adults. Independent, monthly random samples of 100 individuals were surveyed in each city for 21 months as part of an interrupted-time-series design with a control community. The 3-month high-audience-saturation campaign took place in Lexington, KY, with Knoxville, TN, as a comparison city. Messages were especially designed and selected for the target audience (those above the median on a composite sensation-seeking/impulsive-decision-making scale). Data indicate high campaign exposure among the target audience, with 85%-96% reporting viewing one or more PSAs. Analyses indicate significant 5-month increases in condom use, condom-use self-efficacy, and behavioral intentions among the target group in the campaign city with no changes in the comparison city. The results suggest that a carefully targeted, intensive mass media campaign using televised PSAs can change safer sexual behaviors. Keywords mass media campaign; public service announcement; safer sex HIV prevention intervention research over the past 15 years has begun to show impressive results. A number of studies have shown delay of onset of sexual initiation (e.g., Coyle, Kirby, Marin, Gómez, & Gregorish, 2004), whereas other programs have led to significant increases in condom use in populations including heterosexually active individuals (see Johnson, Carey, Marsh, Levin, & Scott-Sheldon, 2003;Neumann et al., 2002, for reviews). However, most of these interventions have been implemented in small-group (e.g., Belza et al., 2001), school (e.g., Blake et al., 2003;Gallant & Maticka-Tyndale, 2004), or individuallevel clinical settings (e.g., Morrison-Beedy & Lewis, 2001). Mass media campaigns, such as televised public service announcement (PSA) campaigns, have recently been shown to be highly effective in changing a variety of behaviors (Hornik, 2002;Noar, 2006) 2001). For a number of reasons, however, the full potential of these types of media campaigns in the HIV prevention area has not yet been realized (Dejong, Wolf, & Austin, 2001;Myhre & Flora, 2000). In fact, campaigns focused on safer sexual behavior to date have tended to yield modest campaign effects (Snyder & Hamilton, 2002). Thus, we raise the following question: Can a televised PSA campaign based on formative research and sophisticated targeting principles change safer sexual beliefs and behaviors in at-risk young adults? The current study is a rigorous evaluation of a two-city, televised safer sex mass media campaign targeted toward increasing safer sex in young adults who are high sensation seekers and impulsive decision makers. HHS Public Access MASS MEDIA CAMPAIGNSAs noted by Randolph and Viswanath (2004), "Mass media campaigns to promote healthy behaviors and discourage unhealthy behaviors have become a major tool of public health practitioners in their efforts to improve the health of the public" (p. 419). Although the early h...

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Condom Availability Programs in Massachusetts High Schools: Relationships With Condom Use and Sexual Behavior

Abstract: The strategy of making condoms available, an indication of socioenvironmental support for condom use, may improve HIV prevention practices.

Cited by 95 publications

References 51 publications

Children, Adolescents, and Advertising

Children, Adolescents, and Advertising

Sexuality, Contraception, and the Media

Effects of a Televised Two-City Safer Sex Mass Media Campaign Targeting High-Sensation-Seeking and Impulsive-Decision-Making Young Adults

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