Working Paper: NBER ID: w18776
Authors: Alberto Chong; Marco Gonzalez-Navarro; Dean Karlan; Martin Valdivia
Abstract: Across public junior high schools in 21 Colombian cities, we conducted a randomized evaluation of a mandatory six-month internet-based sexual education course. Six months after finishing the course, we find a 0.4 standard deviation improvement in knowledge, a 0.2 standard deviation improvement in attitudes, and a 55% increase in the likelihood of redeeming vouchers for condoms as a result of taking the course. We find no evidence of spillovers to control classrooms within treatment schools, and we find treatment effects are enhanced when a larger share of a student’s friends also takes the course. The low cost of the online course along with the effectiveness we document suggests this technology is a viable alternative for improving sexual education in middle income countries.
Keywords: Sexual Education; Information Technologies; Randomized Evaluation; Colombia
JEL Codes: I1; I2; O12
Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| proportion of friends taking the course (C92) | treatment effects (C22) |
| internet-based sexual education course (K24) | sexual health knowledge (I10) |
| internet-based sexual education course (K24) | attitudes (D91) |
| internet-based sexual education course (K24) | likelihood of redeeming condom vouchers (D15) |
| internet-based sexual education course (K24) | safe sex practices (I10) |
| internet-based sexual education course (K24) | sexual activity (J13) |