Sex Education In Schools Research Articles

Stakeholder’s Perceptions on the Implementation of Comprehensive Sexuality Education in Secondary Schools of Muchinga Province of Zambia

The study was focused on exploring stakeholder’s perceptions on the implemention Comprehensive Sexuality Education secondary schools of Muchinga Province of Zambia. The main objectives was to determine the perception of stakeholders concerning Comprehensive Sexuality Education implementation. The research employed Qualitative method and interpretivism paradigm. It used descriptive design which described the state of affairs of Comprehensive Sexuality Education as it existed at the time when the research was conducted. The study sample comprised of headteachers, teachers, parents and learners with the total number of 384. It employed three instruments namely; semi structured interviews for headteachers, teachers, parents and learners, the close ended questionnaires administered on teachers, parents and learners whereas observation checklist was on used to teachers and learners. The research determined the perception of stakeholders and the responses were as follows; headteachers stated that, Comprehensive Sexuality Education should be implemented in all schools, while teachers echoed that it should be taught as a standalone subject but some felt that, the curriculum raised some sensitive issues that were previously taboo in African society. Most parents supported the implementation because learners were guided and regulated properly and their character and academic performance have improved while others’ opinion was that it should be taught by ifimbusa. Learners felt that they were being equipped with healthy sexuality lifestyle and decision making skills. The recommendation for this research are that; Comprehensive Sexuality Education should be implemented in all schools, school leadership in association with parents should champion the implementation of it, Parents should take responsibility of their children sexual life and behaviour, learners should take responsibility of acquiring sexuality skills, knowledge, values, right altitude and of making informed decisions appropriately. It is highly recommended that, the government should develop a deliberate policy of engaging parents while implementing Comprehensive Sexuality Education and closely supervise its implementation in school should be devised and be reinforced in schools. The future recommendation from this study was that, A research on exploring the potential reasons for implementing Comprehensive Sexuality Education in selected rural public secondary schools from stakeholder’s perceptions would be worthwise in order to establish the expected outcomes on learners. The same research should be conducted in other rural settings in Muchinga Province other than Nakonde District.

Sexual Health Education Experiences and Recommendations from the Perspective of LGBTQ+ Youth.

Despite the well-known benefits of comprehensive sexual health education, the majority of school sexual health education curricula in the United States (U.S.) is non-comprehensive and excludes LGBTQ+ students. This exclusion may contribute to poor health outcomes in LGBTQ+ youth, with some research beginning to document these experiences and provide recommendations for curricula changes. Using a sample of LGBTQ+ youth across the U.S. (ages 13-17; N = 809), this study characterizes youths' sexual health education experiences and provides curricula recommendations using a mixed methods approach. Quantitative analyses revealed that LGBTQ+ content is often excluded from sexual health education, particularly topics surrounding sexual orientation and gender identity, which youth wanted to learn more about. Furthermore, participants identified several extracurricular sources of sexual health education, including online spaces, friends, and personal experiences, which were often preferred. Qualitative analyses suggested that LGBTQ+ youth described their sexual health education as exclusive of LGBTQ+ content, often being based in abstinence, religious principles, or described as oppressive (e.g. hearing LGBTQ+ negative remarks) or suppressive (e.g. skipping required LGBTQ+ content). LGBTQ+ youth also provided recommendations for future curricula. Findings can inform curricula development and implementation, as well as policy change, to ascertain that all youth have access to inclusive and comprehensive sexual health education.

Considering the Impact of High School Sexual Education on Past Sexual Victimization and Rape Myth Acceptance in a College Sample.

Sexual victimization is a serious public health crisis affecting college students, with high rates reported among both women and men. Sexual consent education is crucial as it defines sexual assault and is linked to reduced risk of victimization. Rape myths and stereotyped beliefs shifting blame to survivors are established risk factors for sexual violence. Comprehensive sexual education can mitigate these attitudes, fostering a supportive environment for survivors. However, most high school students in the United States receive abstinence-based or abstinence-plus education, which uses unstandardized protocols and often lacks information about sexual consent. The following study explores the influence of high school sexual education on past sexual victimization and rape myth acceptance in college students. Six hundred sixty-four undergraduate students participated in an online survey through a university participant pool. Results show that those who received comprehensive sexual education were more likely to understand sexual consent and were less likely to endorse past sexual victimization. In contrast, students without comprehensive sexual education reported lower satisfaction with their sexual education and greater acceptance of rape myths. Despite limitations in the study's sample and reliance on self-reporting, this research highlights the importance of implementing comprehensive sexual education, including consent education, in high schools. Policymakers and educators must recognize the influence of comprehensive sexual education in promoting healthy relationships and combating sexual assault. As a significant public health concern, incorporating standardized sexual consent education into high school curricula can equip students with the knowledge and skills to make informed decisions about their sexual health and relationships. Future research should explore diverse populations and the mediating role of related factors that may further influence these relationships. These efforts will contribute to fostering a safer environment within educational institutions and combating sexual assault.

Parental involvement in school-based sexuality education in the WHO European Region: findings from a scoping review and expert consultations

ABSTRACT There is a major political commitment at the European Union level to providing good quality sexuality education in schools. Multiple studies in the World Health Organization (WHO) European Region have demonstrated the importance of sexuality education for the health and well-being of children and adolescents. Parents’ role in providing information about sex, sexuality and relationships has also been widely recognised, though we know little about the involvement of parents in school-based sexuality education and the possible outcomes. We conducted a scoping review to systematically identify initiatives within the WHO European Region that involve parents in school-based sexuality education. We identified five programmes – four of which had been implemented in the UK and one in Turkey. In addition, online expert consultations provided professional insights and resources related to the topic. This review indicates that initiatives to involve parents in school-based SE exist within the region. Although our results refer to the benefits of involving parents in school-based sexuality education, such as improving communication between parents and children and contributing to parental trust in a school’s approach to sexuality education, it also indicates barriers, for example, lack of time on the part of parents and teachers.

Experiences of Sexuality Education Educators in Secondary Schools of Mbarara Municipality, Uganda

While schools in Uganda have sexuality education implementation programs in place, adolescents enrolled in school continue to have considerable concerns about sexuality. This indicates that there is still a gap in the teaching of sexuality education. Understanding, that the pursuit of excellent educational outcomes cannot understate the significance of educators. The objectives of the study were to understand how teachers have influenced the implementation of sexuality education in schools and to understand their influence. We explored their sexuality education teaching experiences. For this study, we purposively sampled 12 teachers from six secondary schools in Mbarara Municipality. These were classroom teachers teaching Biology, Christian Religious education, and Literature, subjects in which topics about sexuality are included. Others were male and female senior teachers in charge of guidance and counselling; and teacher patrons to sexuality learning-related activities outside the classroom. Data was transcribed and analyzed through thematic coding of opinions, feelings, and practices of teachers. Results indicated that the majority of teachers experience discomfort when teaching this subject. To most teachers, this discomfort was attributed to 1. Lack of proper training. 2. Others had strong cultural values and beliefs that made them uncomfortable teaching about sexuality in open places like the classroom. 3. Another minority, were not consulted before being appointed into counselling positions, therefore did not feel obliged to take on the assignment. 5. Lack of instruction materials. 6. Findings also revealed that students are not comfortable learning from their teachers, whom they consider as “second parents” and hence they join and learn more from peers and other adults. 7. While all students, learn about sexuality, only a few teachers are assigned this duty, this has created a teaching burden due to the low teacher-student ratio especially for duties like guidance and counselling and patronising of sexuality education programs. Thus, we deduced that SE was being jeopardised by teachers' inefficacy, attitude, and low teacher-student ratio, and interaction of informal peer educators. We concluded that sexuality education educators, are most effective when they are equipped with skills, their consent to participate is sought, the education does not interfere with their values and when they do not carry an overload of assignments. From the findings, it was also evident that teachers are not the best choice schools should use to guide and counsel students about sexuality. Peers and medical personnel are preferred to teachers. Hence, when the identified gaps are attended to sexuality education will be more efficient to protect and keep skills with adolescents undergoing this education. To improve teacher performance, we recommend that schools assist their teachers in pursuing SE training, seek teachers consent before appointing them into SE educating or counselling positions, support them and offer teaching materials. The low teacher-to-student ratio be resolved by assigning more teacher educators SE roles. Our findings indicate that students feel more at ease studying with their peers than with teachers; hence, we recommended increasing the amount of supervised peer-to-peer SE learning in schools. We also discovered that students value media education, thus we recommend that schools offer more adult-guided media literacy instruction.

Project to Reduce the Teenage Pregnancies Through Health Education at MOH Level

Project to Reduce the Teenage Pregnancies Through Health Education at MOH Level

Contraceptive knowledge, prevalence of contraception use, and the association between sex education and contraception knowledge among university students in Michigan, USA.

The danger of sexual activities among adolescents is worrisome worldwide. This study aimed to delineate total contraception knowledge of university students and the prevalence of contraceptive use, in addition to the association between sex education in school and the students' contraception knowledge. A school-based cross-sectional study was carried out. The mean total level of contraceptive knowledge was 16.53 ± 2.38, which ranged from 5 to 18. In response to which method was the most suitable for the youngsters, 36.3% responded pills, 49.2% condoms, 6.3% injection, 0.7% withdrawal, 0.5% periodic abstinence, and 5.9% other. Adjusted to sociodemographic characteristics and other confounders, students with a history of sex education in school tended to have a higher level of contraceptive knowledge than those without [AOR: 1.06; 95% CI: 0.15, 2.64]. Moreover, adjusted to the characteristics of one-night stands, students with a high level of contraceptive knowledge agreed that one-night stands were OK compared with those without the knowledge [AOR: 0.65; 95% CI: 0.16, 1.13]. Although the total contraceptive knowledge was satisfactory, more attention should be paid to male students' education. Modern and long-term effective contraceptive methods had better be included in the training program.

Eugenics, Sex and Family Life Education, and Juvenile Delinquency in Los Angeles County, California

AbstractThis glimpse into sex education in the Los Angeles region illustrates the eugenic ideas about racially “fit” reproduction that emerged in family life curricula during the Second World War. Ideas about eugenic reproduction in public schools responded to broader cultural fears about increasing divorce rates, criminality, immigration, and birthright citizenship. Eugenics in sex and family life education, importantly, portrayed a woman’s choice of mate as a civic responsibility, a move that paved the way for future conflicts about teaching gender and sexuality in public school sex education. Amid a half-century-long conflict over abstinence-only versus comprehensive sex education in public schools, topics like genetics and heredity have come to be widely accepted by both sides—recognized as a presumably value-neutral staple of sex education in US public schools. Yet recent innovations in genetic and reproductive technologies, as well as the conflict over trans and queer youth in the United States, challenge the assumption that teaching genetics and heredity in public schools really is “value neutral.”

What would it take for relationships and sexuality education to be enacted meaningfully and responsively? Provocations informed by New Zealand policy and teachers’ perspectives

ABSTRACT This paper explores relationships and sexuality education (RSE) in New Zealand secondary schools. After conducting a nationwide survey of teachers and producing a report on the challenges reported by RSE teachers, we began to develop a paper exploring the perennial issues faced by RSE teachers as they enact curriculum policy. Given that these issues endure, we considered how else we could approach the paper: in particular, what different questions could we ask of our data; and what alternative analytics offer potential for thinking in new ways about the perennial issues, and move us beyond telling the same old story? Asking these questions led us to Bacchi’s What’s the problem represented to be? (approach to policy analysis. Using data from our survey to focus our attention on key issues for teachers, we work with extracts from national government guidance for schools and teachers on RSE to apply this approach. Under five headings developed through the data analysis, we present five ‘provocations’ – or deliberately provocative proposals for the future of RSE in New Zealand. We hope the ideas in this paper may spark different ways of thinking about RSE policy and practice, with the ultimate aim of delivering meaningful and responsive RSE in secondary schools.

Menstrual health knowledge amongst active females in Aotearoa/New Zealand

Poor menstrual health literacy is a factor that contributes to females not seeking medical help for abnormal menstrual symptoms that may impact their mental, social, and physical health(1). Few studies have focused on testing baseline functional knowledge of the menstrual cycle (MC) outside the context of pregnancy and menopause. The primary objective of this study was to investigate MC knowledge levels of physically active females residing in New Zealand. A secondary objective was to understand where females get their MC information from, what sources they consider to be trustworthy and what information on the MC they would like to know more about. A MC knowledge questionnaire was developed by the research team (n = 3), and reviewed by academics (n = 4), medical experts (n = 4), sporting organisation staff (n = 5), and target population (n = 10) to ensure content validity. Active females (n = 203) between the ages of 16-40 years completed an online questionnaire. The questionnaire included a total of 25 knowledge questions and was split into four categories: menstrual cycle (Q = 9), menstruation (Q = 7), symptoms (Q = 5), and health outcomes (Q = 6). Responses (single and multiple answer multi-choice questions) were analysed using descriptive statistics which were presented as mean, SD and frequency (%). The overall knowledge score was 51.8% (22.8 ± 3.4). The highest knowledge scores were noted for symptoms (80.5%), followed by menstruation (79.8%), and the menstrual cycle (64.2%). Females scored poorly when asked about health outcomes related to the MC (20.4%). 61.5% of participants (n = 123) identified the internet as their main source of MC information. Friends (n = 82, 41%), school sex education (n = 73, 36.5%) and social media (n = 73, 36.5%) were the next most common sources of MC information. The most trustworthy sources of information were doctors/GPs (n = 96, 48%) and healthcare professionals (n = 70, 35%). The most common topics that females wanted to know more about were diet and the MC (n = 115, 57.5%), training and the MC (n = 115, 57.5%), MC tracking (n = 78, 39%), MC and mood (n = 75, 37.5%) and RED-S/LEA/Female athlete triad (n = 71, 35.5%). Overall functional knowledge levels of the MC and associated health outcomes is low in active females. Healthcare professionals and doctors are the most trustworthy sources of information; however, they are not the most common sources of information that females will engage with. Developing online educational resources on the MC, associated health outcomes and lifestyle factors (diet, physical activity) with medical and healthcare professionals may be considered in future female health education.

Correction: “We’re All Still Learning About How to Talk About Porn”: Teacher and Administrator Perspectives About Inclusion of Education About Pornography in Massachusetts High School Sex Education Programs

Correction: “We’re All Still Learning About How to Talk About Porn”: Teacher and Administrator Perspectives About Inclusion of Education About Pornography in Massachusetts High School Sex Education Programs

“Pap smear horror stories, self loathing, feeling like I was less of a woman”: A qualitative content analysis of an online vaginismus forum

Objective: To understand what concerns and experiences people with vaginismus share online anonymously but may not share with clinicians. Methods: Two researchers compiled all comments and posts made from November 2019 to April 2020 within an online vaginismus forum ( n = 311) for content analysis. Two researchers separately performed inductive coding, categorized quotes into overarching categories and codes, and resolved inconsistencies with a third-party adjudicator. Results: Our analysis highlighted three key categories: “psychosocial concerns” (34%), “discussion of pain” (33%), and “lack of access to vulvovaginal healthcare” (34%). The category “psychosocial concerns” comprised of the codes “shame and/or social isolation” (12%), “mental health comorbidities” (9%), “fear of partner separation” (7%), “cultural/religious stigma” (2%), “partner separation” (2%), and “fear of infertility or vaginal delivery” (1%). The category “discussion of pain” comprised of the codes “successful therapies” (16%), “sexual pain” (9%), “nonsexual pain” (6%), and “unsuccessful therapies” (2%). The category “lack of access to vulvovaginal healthcare” comprised of the codes “lack of standardized therapy guidelines” (8%), “self diagnosis” (7%), “fertility testing and/or treatments limited by vaginismus” (5%), “clinicians dismissing symptoms” (4%), “inadequate clinician knowledge about vaginismus” (2%), “inadequate health and sex education in schools” (2%), “geographical barriers” (2%), and “COVID-19” (2%). Conclusion: This novel qualitative study of an online vaginismus forum highlights the need for a patient-centered approach to inform future research, medical education, and clinical practice. Our findings suggest we reevaluate the standard of care for patients with vaginismus and expand on existing knowledge of the impact of sexual health stigma on social and health outcomes.

Sexual experiences among multicultural adolescents in Korea: evidence from the Korean Youth's Risk Behavior Survey.

Several studies have examined adolescent sexual behaviors by family immigration status, but most of these failed to account for heterogeneity within youths' multicultural backgrounds. To fill this gap in the literature, this paper draws data from the 2011 to 2022 rounds of the Korean Youth's Risk Behavior Survey (N = 769,160) and compares the likelihood of sexual intercourse across four groups of adolescents. Results from logistic regression indicate that the odds of having sexual contact increased 2.8 times for youths with a non-Korean father and Korean mother, compared with those from families with two Korean parents. When both father and mother are foreign-born, the odds of being sexually active increased 4.7 times. In both cases, the discrepancies might be primarily associated with the foreign fathers' lack of socioeconomic resources. Therefore, the father's role deserves more examination, and sex education in schools should be tailored to reflect multicultural adolescents' needs.

Victim‐survivors’ proposed solutions to addressing image‐based sexual abuse in the U.S.: Legal, corporate, educational, technological, and cultural approaches

AbstractSexual violence is a world‐wide health problem that has begun to escalate in online and virtual spaces. One form of technology‐facilitated sexual violence that has grown in recent years is image‐based sexual abuse (IBSA), or the nonconsensual creation, distribution, and/or threat of distribution of nude or sexual images. Using a trauma‐informed and victim‐centered framework, we asked victim‐survivors for structural solutions to IBSA based on their own experiences. Using thematic analysis on 36 semi‐structured interviews with adult U.S. victim‐survivors of IBSA, we found that victim‐survivors proposed structural solutions to IBSA along five general dimensions: legal (creating/strengthening laws, enforcing laws, facilitating legal navigation), corporate (corporate responsibility/activism and solutions for employers), educational (IBSA education, outreach and advocacy, and developing communities of support), technological (more platform accountability, improved procedures for uploading images, better avenues for reporting and removing images, and enhanced platform policies), and cultural. Many solutions built on existing structures (e.g., sexual education in schools) and frameworks (e.g., creating support groups like those for people in recovery from alcohol abuse), enabling educational professionals, policy makers, victim‐support service providers, and corporations to readily implement them.

“We’re All Still Learning About How to Talk About Porn”: Teacher and Administrator Perspectives About Inclusion of Education About Pornography in Massachusetts High School Sex Education Programs

“We’re All Still Learning About How to Talk About Porn”: Teacher and Administrator Perspectives About Inclusion of Education About Pornography in Massachusetts High School Sex Education Programs

Implementing Comprehensive Sex and Sexuality Education in Kindergarten-Grade 12 Schools: Guiding Practices and Examples.

Comprehensive sex and sexuality education (CSE) is an evidence-based intervention associated with improved sexual and reproductive health outcomes. Currently, there are no standardized requirements for sex and sexuality education in the United States, despite expert recommendations. In the United States, a Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child theoretical model proposed by the Centers for Disease Control, and current examples of school sex education policy is used to make recommendations for the standardization of comprehensive sexual health education in K-12 schools. This article describes the necessary components to adopt CSE equitably, and provides an example of the process implemented to improve CSE in 1 school district in Pittsburgh, PA. Understanding the key components of legislation that align with recommended standards, and the process of advocating for school policy change, allows local advocacy groups and education policymakers to create and pass feasible legislation that will ensure appropriate instruction. There is additional room for improvement in states and local districts that have current CSE legislation, to adopt approaches grounded in frameworks that critically evaluate social determinants of health and amend legislation to further improve health equity. Several states and local districts have passed CSE regulations, and are implementing and evaluating their efficacy, providing support and examples for other regions interested in adopting similar policies and processes. Pittsburgh Public Schools can be used as an example adapting current legislation and adopting more comprehensive language.

What have 16- to 18-year-olds in England learnt about reproductive health? A survey of school students

Objective: Most countries teach limited information about sex and reproductive health education, often concentrating on how not to get pregnant. In this study, we examine what 16- to 18-year-olds in England have learnt and their views about reproductive health education. Design: This is a mixed-methods study. An anonymous, online survey was conducted on Qualtrics software using multiple-choice and open-ended questions. Schools were recruited via the Biotutors forum, and they distributed the survey to students aged 16–18 years. Setting: Data collection took place across England. Methods: A total of 931 students completed the survey, of whom 636 were girls, 250 were boys, 31 as other genders, and 14 did not disclose their gender. Quantitative data were analysed descriptively, and associations were explored using Chi-square tests. Qualitative data were analysed thematically. Results: Over half (65%) of the students rated the sex education they had received as adequate or below. Over half (74%) reported that they do not, or only sometimes, talk to their parents/guardians about these topics. Half (49%) did not know when a woman is most fertile. Students showed a better knowledge of female fertility than male fertility. There was no relationship between how much teaching respondents said they had received and their knowledge of reproductive health topics. From the free text question ‘How do you think we can improve sex and fertility education in schools?’, five themes were identified: inclusivity for all students; comprehensive with relevant topic variety; logistical improvements needed to teaching; the need for honest, transparent and non-judgemental teaching; and sex positivity. Conclusion: Schools should teach a wider range of issues relevant to sexual and reproductive health. Data from this study have assisted the creation of a teachers’ education resource which is being developed in partnership with the International Reproductive Health Education Collaboration (IRHEC).

Parenthood intentions of 16–18-year-olds in England: a survey of school students

There is a need to understand teenagers’ views towards having children to better tailor sexuality and reproductive health education. We conducted a survey of parenthood intentions for 16–18-year-old students. The survey was anonymous, contained open-ended and multiple-choice questions and was live from 10 May 2021 to 18 July 2022. The sample size was n = 931. Quantitative data were analysed descriptively and using chi-squared tests; qualitative data were analysed thematically. The majority of students (64%) indicated they wanted to have children in the future, with 49% desiring to have two children. Students who opted against having children cited the turbulent state of the world, concerns about parenthood, and, for many females, negative associations to pregnancy and childbirth. Many students felt concern about the possibility of having children in the future (45%), expressing concerns about their ability to have healthy children and worries about the lives their children might lead. Six themes were identified in their responses to the question ‘What are your concerns about the possibility of having children in the future?’: Fears; Self-doubt; Health and wellbeing; Big investment; Hinderance to personal aspirations; and Non-inclusive LGBTQ+ education. We conclude by making recommendations as to how school reproductive health and sex education might be improved.

Exposure to comprehensive sexuality education in schools in South Africa: the implications on the uptake of HIV testing services among HIV positive adolescent girls

ABSTRACT Comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) is seen as a key instrument through which to affect behaviour and improve sexual and reproductive health (SRH) outcomes amongst adolescents. However, few studies have to date evaluated key SRH outcomes following exposure to CSE within a school setting. This study estimates the association between CSE and HIV testing and HIV testing self-efficacy amongst HIV positive adolescent girls. Data were collected from a cross-sectional survey administered in four high HIV prevalence districts . Independent variables included exposure to CSE, with outcome variables measuring uptake of HIV testing in the 12 months preceding the survey, and HIV testing self-efficacy. The sample comprised 505 HIV positive adolescent girls aged 12–19. . Attending CSE was associated with both; being more confident to get an HIV test (AOR: 2.44, 95% CI: 1.47-4.06, p < 0.001) and having ever tested for HIV (AOR: 2.15, 95% CI: 1.39-3.33, p < 0.001) while controlling for numerous variables. Results suggest CSE can play an important role in not only affecting HIV-related behaviours themselves, but also critical factors that affect HIV behaviours, including self-efficacy.

EDUCAÇÃO EM SEXUALIDADE EM ESCOLAS DE ENSINO MÉDIO: PERCEPÇÃO DE PROFESSORES

The study carried out qualitative and bibliographical research seeking to highlight the main questions raised by high school teachers regarding Sexuality Education in schools. A survey of articles published between 2013 and 2022, in Portuguese, was carried out on the Periodicals Portal of the Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (Capes). The descriptors “Sexual Education”, “High School” and “teachers” were used and the analysis is based on Bardin’s proposal. The chosen works present in their summary references to the theme of Sexuality Education in High Schools. The results pointed to the unpreparedness and insecurity of teachers to deal with students’ manifestations and doubts on the topic of sexuality, as well as Sexuality Education being carried out only in the contents of human reproduction, contraceptive methods, prevention of pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections. The need for investments in continued training stands out so that this theme can be exercised inside and outside the school environment, as one of the means for restoring Education in all its configurations and knowledge.