Faith-based sex education programs: what they look like and who uses them.

The purpose of this study was to explore the kinds of sex education programs for youth available in mainline churches. This research project sought to identify the kinds of programs developed, the ages of the youth involved, the reasons for implementing the programs, the goals of the programs, the topics covered, and the perceived youth response to these programs as identified by youth ministers and leaders. The sample included 92 churches/synagogues with memberships over 300 that were within a 25-mile radius of our small, urban area in southeast Michigan. Findings from this study lay the groundwork for exploring whether these programs have an impact on adolescents' sexual behaviors.