Date of Award

Spring 2026

Document Type

Project – Full Written

Degree Name

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)

Committee Chair

Ashley Isaac-Dockery

Abstract

Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) remain a significant public health concern in the United States, with increasing rates reported in many states, including North Carolina. Limited sexual health education, stigma surrounding sexual health discussions, and lack of awareness regarding prevention and screening contribute to ongoing transmission, delayed diagnosis, and potential long-term complications associated with untreated STIs. The purpose of this Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) project was to implement a sexual health education program aimed at increasing knowledge of STI transmission, prevention strategies, and the importance of screening among adults aged 18 years and older. Two educational sessions were completed within the community, with a total of 28 participants completing the program. Participants completed a 10-question pre-test prior to the educational session to assess baseline knowledge related to STI transmission, prevention, and screening. Following the intervention, participants completed the same 10 questions as a post-test to evaluate changes in knowledge. The educational sessions included a PowerPoint presentation, interactive learning activities, condom demonstrations, and discussions on stigma and barriers related to sexual health. Quantitative analysis demonstrated improvement in participant knowledge following the intervention. The mean pre-test score was 8.07 out of 10 (SD=1.36), while the mean post- test score increased to 9.18 out of 10 (SD=0.90), representing an average increase of 1.11 points. These findings indicated that sexual health education programs can improve knowledge related to STI prevention and screening as well as support ongoing efforts to promote safer sexual practices.

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 4.0 License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 4.0 License

Download

Included in

Nursing Commons

Share

COinS