Cambridge, MA: NBER, 2018. 31 p.
Authors: 
Chong, Alberto
Gonzalez-Navarro, Marco
Karlan, Dean
Valdivia, Martin
Organizations: 
National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)
Collection: 
Working Paper No. 18776
Description: 
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.
Languages: 
Record created by: 
IIEP