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Abstract
Adolescent girls face elevated risks of unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections due to early sexual activity and inconsistent contraceptive use. School‑based sex education is a key source of information, yet programs vary widely in content, ranging from abstinence‑only to comprehensive approaches that include contraception and STI prevention. Using data from the 2002 National Survey of Family Growth, this study examined whether differences in formal sex education were associated with contraceptive use at coital debut among female adolescents, and whether education type related to high‑risk sexual behavior, measured by history of STI treatment. Logistic regression analyses evaluated associations while accounting for demographic and behavioral factors.