High-risk adolescents’ sexuality education preferences based on Hispanic ethnicity

In the USA, persons of Hispanic ethnicity experience higher rates of adolescent pregnancy and STIs than non-Hispanic white youth and there exists a lack of research concerning the sexuality education preferences of Hispanic adolescents. This study describes sexual health education preferences by Hispanic ethnicity among a high-risk sample of young people aged 14–20 years in Texas. Data were collected from participants in a teenage pregnancy prevention programme. Questions included preferred topics, provider of information and learning modality. Just over half of the participants was Hispanic (60%), nearly all participants were sexually experienced (96%) and more than half had been pregnant or caused a pregnancy (66%). Hispanic participants were significantly less likely to want to learn about sexual health from parents compared to non-Hispanic participants. Hispanic participants were also significantly less likely to prefer to learn about puberty and adolescent development, or to select role-playing as a preferred learning modality. Findings from the study provide evidence about the kind of sexual health topics US Hispanic adolescents are interested in as well as from who they prefer to receive sexuality education. Understanding these educational preferences can be useful to inform future policy and programming.