Manifestation of human sexuality and its relevance to secondary schools in Nigeria

Abstract

The alarms against the menace of premarital sexual activities reached a crescendo but the behaviour of young people remained at variance with the alarms. This contradiction contributed to the growth of sexually transmitted diseases including human immune virus (HIV) and acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). Thus, this study examined manifestation of human sexuality and its relevance to secondary schools in Nigeria using information derived from content analysis of secondary data. Results principally showed that human sexuality extended beyond procreation as it captured all the nuances of the socio-cultural contexts of a society. Different sexualities such as child sexuality, adolescent sexuality, adult sexuality and sexuality of the elderly produced specific implications for the entire society. Conclusively, understanding of the interdependent layers of human sexuality would promote the management of sexually transmitted diseases including HIV and AIDS. Therefore, it was recommended that sexuality education should be emphasized in the socialization from infancy till death. Nobody would be too young or old for learning human sexuality. Critical steps should be taken to empower students towards scanning their sexual histories and acquiring the right skills to manage any detected or potential sexual problem. Key words: Schools, sexuality, STIs, youth.