Encouraging Rural Youth to be Sexually Responsible

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Abstract
Rural isolation may make it especially difficult to encourage youth to use contraception effectively or delay sexual activity. Research with nonmetropolitan high school and college students suggests three strategies that could be employed by sex educators and counselors who reside in these areas. First, we can reinforce sexually inactive adolescents by pointing out that half their peers prefer to delay sex and give a variety of sensible reasons for doing so. Second, we can accept the fact that the condom is the favorite contraceptive method of rural youth who have sex sporadically and have less access to family planning facilities than do their urban counterparts. Adults in rural communities can facilitate responsible contraception by making sure that condoms are accessible at the local drug store. Third, we can train rural youth to be sex counselors for their peers. These young people may be more persuasive than adults in convincing a friend to use contraception by forcefully arguing about the grave dangers of unprotected intercourse.