Sex Education: A Step towards Improving the Sexual Attitudes and Practices of Muslim Adolescent Students

Abstract

Sex education is a major source of learning about sexual health related issueswhich are not extensively explained in the average science classes. However, it isa sensitive subject for most Meranaos because of the conservative culture of mostMuslim societies. In the absence of sex education and due to their immaturity,adolescents may have divergent sexual attitudes and commit irresponsiblepractices. This quantitative descriptive-correlational study was conducted todiscover the sexual attitudes and practices of Muslim adolescents towards theseveral aspects of sexual relationships: courtship, heterosexual relationship,dating, and pre-marital relationship before and after the implementation of thesex education program in different high schools in Lanao del Sur First District.Paired t-test analysis was used to test if there is a significant relationship betweenthe sexual attitudes and practices before and after the implementation of thesex education program. The findings reveal that the implementation of the sexeducation program resulted in the general decline of activities that could leadto sexual relations, as well as a significant decrease in the participants’ sexualattitudes and practices. This research concludes that there is a significantdifference in the sexual attitudes and practices of the respondents before andafter the implementation of the sex education program.Keywords: Education, sex education, sexual attitudes, sexual practices, sources ofinformation, level of knowledge, adolescents, descriptive-correlational design,Philippines