Key Findings
learners' desire
SECONDARY
Community engagement and acceptability of sexual education programs for adolescents alone are insufficient to ensure program uptake and engagement.
Attendance at an evidence-based, near-peer-led comprehensive sexual education program for female adolescents in South African secondary schools was suboptimal, even after extensive community engagement and modifying the delivery of the program based on the school's preference.Participants reported high interest and acceptability, but this did not translate to consistent attendance because of barriers, including participants' security concerns and competing priorities on their time.Providing adolescent-friendly health care screenings early as part of the study may have influenced learners' desire to later attend the program intervention sessions.