Do Information Technologies Improve Teenagers’ Sexual Education? Evidence from a Randomized Evaluation in Colombia

Alberto Chong, Marco Gonzalez-Navarro, Dean Karlan and Martín Valdivia

Department of Agricultural & Resource Economics, UC Berkeley, Working Paper Series from Department of Agricultural & Resource Economics, UC Berkeley

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: Social and Behavioral Sciences; Colombia (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019-05-01
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-ict and nep-lam
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Related works:
Journal Article: Do Information Technologies Improve Teenagers’ Sexual Education? Evidence from a Randomized Evaluation in Colombia (2020)
Working Paper: Do Information Technologies Improve Teenagers'Sexual Education ? Evidence from a Randomized Evaluation in Colombia (2019)
Working Paper: Do Information Technologies Improve Teenagers’ Sexual Education? Evidence from a Randomized Evaluation in Colombia (2013)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:cdl:agrebk:qt6th641vg

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