The Effect of Education on Improving Sexual/Reproductive Health in Adolescents: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

OBJECTIVE

Various educational interventions are used to improve sexual and reproductive health and to prevent unintended pregnancy among adolescents. This meta-analysis examines how sexual and reproductive health education for adolescents affects their contraceptive use and the prevention of unintended pregnancy.

METHOD: The search for articles was conducted in PubMed, CINAHL, Scopus, and Science Citation Index (Web of Science) databases between November 2024 and March 2025. A total of 542 articles were identified through database searching and manual screening. After removing duplicates, 223 articles were evaluated, of which 187 were excluded for failing to meet the inclusion criteria. Thirty-six full-text articles were assessed, and seven randomized controlled trials (RCTs) involving 18,773 adolescent boys and girls were deemed eligible and included in the analysis.

RESULTS

Across the seven RCTs, no significant differences were found between the intervention and control groups in terms of contraceptive use (MD: 0.97, 95% CI: 0.81-1.16, Z = 0.37, p = 0.71), condom use (MD: 0.90, 95% CI: 0.49-1.65, Z = 0.34, p = 0.73), and unprotected sexual intercourse (MD: 0.83, 95% CI: 0.67-1.03, Z = 1.69, p = 0.09). However, a significant difference was found in unintended pregnancy rates (MD: 0.60, 95% CI: 0.42-0.85, Z = 2.85, p = 0.004), favoring the intervention group.

CONCLUSION

Although sexual and reproductive health education interventions did not significantly increase contraceptive or condom use, they contributed to a reduction in unintended pregnancy and unprotected sexual intercourse among adolescents.