Gender differences in students’ perceptions of reproductive health education provided by parents, teachers, and community health centers in Indonesia: a cross-sectional study

To assess students’ perceptions of the roles of parents, teachers, and community health center (Puskesmas) staff in delivering reproductive health education and promoting healthy behaviors, and to explore differences in these perceptions by sex. A cross-sectional survey was conducted from October to 10 November 2025 in six public senior high schools in Garut Regency, West Java, Indonesia. A school-based cluster recruitment approach was used, in which all eligible students in Grades 10–12 within the selected schools were invited to participate. A total of 1,115 students (351 males and 764 females) completed a structured questionnaire consisting of 25 dichotomous items covering parental roles (10 items), teacher roles (10 items), and Puskesmas roles (5 items). The instrument showed good internal consistency (KR-20 = 0.82). Descriptive statistics were used to summarize students’ perceptions, and chi-square tests were performed to examine differences by sex, with p < 0.05 considered statistically significant. Parents and teachers were perceived as the dominant sources of reproductive health education, with more than 90% of students reporting exposure to guidance from both groups for most indicators. However, education about sexually transmitted infections (STIs) remained comparatively lower (parents: 74.4%; teachers: 84.5%). The perceived role of Puskesmas staff was substantially lower than family and school inputs, with reported exposure ranging from 55.2% to 75.1% across indicators. Across domains, the least-addressed content areas involved STI-related information and early reproductive function. Differences by sex were identified in several indicators, with male students generally reporting lower exposure to reproductive health information than female students. Reproductive health education for adolescents is primarily delivered through families and schools, while health-system involvement via Puskesmas remains limited. Gaps in STI-related content and early reproductive function, along with lower reported exposure among male students on several indicators, suggest the need for stronger multisectoral collaboration and more gender-responsive reproductive health education strategies.