Sex Ed in the City: An Exploratory Qualitative Study of Students’ Experience

Abstract

Since January 2012, New York City public schools have been mandated to provide sexual health education in middle and high school as part of comprehensive health education. Nonetheless, anecdotal reports from students suggest that their sex education was inadequate. Twenty-seven students in a large community college in New York City participated in individual structured interviews about their experience of sex education in the city’s public schools. Various students recalled the degree of comfort that many of their teachers had in teaching sexuality education, and several students found the course helpful. But some students found that while their courses covered the required material, it was often superficial and ineffective, and did not support their developing healthy, loving relationships. Confirming findings from previous research, many students felt their instruction was ‘too little, too late.’ Among the 24 high schools represented by study participants, it is clear that there is great variability in course content and delivery, and instructors may need more training, supervision, and support to effectively comply with the mandate for comprehensive sexuality education.