The Influence of Free Sex Health Education on Increasing Knowledge of Middle Adolescents

Abstract

Introduction:Cases of free sex among adolescents show alarming figures. Based on 2023 BKKBN data, as many as 60% of adolescents aged 16–17 years and 20% of adolescents aged 14–15 years have had sexual relations before marriage. This condition reflects the still low knowledge of adolescents regarding free sex and the risks it poses. Therefore, reproductive health education is an important step to increase adolescents' understanding of responsible sexual behavior. Objective: To determine the effect of health education about free sex on increasing knowledge in middle adolescents. Method: This study used a quasi-experimental design with a non-equivalent control group approach. The study sample consisted of 96 ninth grade students of SMPN 45 Semarang who were selected using a total sampling technique. Respondents were divided into two groups, namely the intervention group (48 students) who were given counseling using PowerPoint media and the control group (48 students) who were given education through animated videos. The research instrument was a knowledge questionnaire, and data analysis used the Mann-Whitney test. Results: In the intervention group, the level of good knowledge increased from 60.4% to 91.7%, while in the control group it increased from 56.3% to 75.0%. The results of the statistical test showed a Z value = -2.179 with a p-value = 0.029 (<0.05), which means there is a significant difference between the two groups. Power point media proved to be twice as effective in increasing adolescent knowledge compared to animated video media. Conclusion:  There is an effect of health education about free sex on increasing knowledge in middle adolescents.