P3.234: Learning Through Teaching: Using a Volunteer 8-session Sex Ed Middle School Program to Supplement Sexual Health Counseling Training in Medical Students

Background: Since 2015, medical students in Washington, DC have participated in Teen Promise Project (TPP), a sexual health education curriculum for middle schoolers. Previous studies found sexual education programs are effective in increasing the knowledge of sexual and reproductive health in medical students (Bretelle et al., 2014; Bourne et al., 2020). We are interested in studying if our TPP curriculum is providing an increase to the knowledge and confidence in medical student volunteers as supplementation to their preclinical education.

Methods: Subjects were recruited via training sessions and medical school email listservs for TPP volunteers. Information and consent forms about the study were emailed through REDCap. At the end of each semester, the same volunteer listservs were emailed the post-survey to complete anonymously. Basic statistical analysis was completed in excel and REDCap.

Results: 35 medical student volunteers completed the surveys. 85.7% were female, 14.3% were male. 50.0% self-identified as White, 26.5% as African American/Black, and 17.6% as Asian. The average age was 24.7 years; 48.6% were M1s. All results were calculated on percentages of volunteers who "agreed" or "completely agreed" to the prompts. Pre-surveys revealed volunteers felt most comfortable teaching consent and contraception at 94.2% and least comfortable teaching sexual and gender identities at 71.4%. Post-surveys revealed volunteers were most comfortable teaching consent, contraception, safe sexual practices, and sexual and gender identities at 100% for each. Volunteers felt the least comfortable teaching puberty/anatomy and pregnancy awareness at 80% and 90% respectively post-curriculum. The greatest percent change was a 28.6% increase in comfortability teaching sexual and gender identities.
Post-surveys revealed 100% of subjects agreed or completely agreed with “I feel confident in my knowledge about sexual education” and “I am comfortable working with adolescents”. 85.7% pre-survey to 100% post-survey noted they were considering a primary care specialty (FM, Pediatrics, IM, OBGYN). 100% of subjects agreed or completely agreed that interacting with their community through TPP “solidifies my desire to work in the medical field”, “impacted my awareness of the importance of diversity in medical education” and “impacted my understanding of social determinants of health”. In terms of medical education, 40% were “not sure” if “subjects taught (in TPP) are covered in my medical school curriculum”.

Conclusion: Volunteers had the least initial comfortability teaching sexual and gender identities. Importantly, this subject had the greatest increase in comfortability to 100% post-curriculum, seen also in consent, contraception, and safe sexual practices. With medical school curricula not providing clear guidance on adolescent sexual health education, TPP allows medical students to use teaching as a way of learning while providing critical information to adolescents in their communities. This is an ongoing study as the TPP program is expanding to different states and medical schools.