Perceptions of a School-Based Sexuality Education Curriculum: Findings from Focus Groups with Parents and Teens in a Southern State.

School-based sexuality education is widely supported by most Americans. However, there is debate over the topics that should be taught. Also, a better understanding of desires adolescents and parents have for equipping youth to make healthy decisions is needed. This study gathered perceptions from parents and students about the sexuality education curriculum being implemented in selected, priority high schools in Arkansas. Separate parent and student focus groups were conducted at four of the fifteen priority high schools with high rates of sexually transmitted infection (STI) and teen pregnancy. Common themes included: 1) sex education should be comprehensive and is currently inadequate; 2) characteristics valued in friendships are not currently reinforced in schools leaving a disconnect for students when it comes to healthy romantic relationships; 3) students feel ill-equipped to pursue healthy dating relationships and lack realistic role models for healthy dating relationships; and 4) many teens are believed to be in abusive dating relationships. A comprehensive sexuality education curriculum is recommended to better address all relationship types and equip students to make healthy decisions in the context of their relationships.