A Survey of Five Sex Education Methods - Essay Example

A Survey of Five Sex Education Methods The paper aims to present a survey of five sex education methods and pertinent data related to each. This will help the reader gain an understanding of the efficacy, advantages, disadvantages and opportunities for improvement each method brings. The methods that will be tackled are as follows: Abstinence-Only Method, School Sex Education Method, Home Sex Education Method, Mass Media Education Method, and Internet Education Method. Abstinence-Only Sex Education The Abstinence Only method of sex educations focuses on teaching programs that advocate abstinence from premarital sex and increased respect towards themes regarding sex. It has found many advocates among private educational and religious institutions that subscribe to the notion of chastity and purity before marriage. A study was conducted to reveal how three Abstinence Only-based programs fared with regards to pre and post program student outlook towards premarital sex. It also aimed to study the effects of such programs on the attitude of 7th and 10th grade students in three school districts in Utah (Olsen, 1991). Three programs were reviewed for this purpose – the Sex Respect Program and the Teen Aid Program was implemented in suburban districts while the Values and Choices Program was implemented in rural districts. The study used questionnaires before and after the said programs to determine if there was any change in the students’ outlook towards sex. The study’s hypotheses were (1) that these programs would effect a positive change in attitude of the respondents towards abstinence and that (2) older respondents would show less change in attitude. The results of the study showed that the first hypothesis could be substantiated. There was a general positive change in attitude among respondents towards sex with the Sex Respect Program garnering more positive reaction. The second hypothesis proved to be negative since there was no significant difference between the change in attitude among older respondents and younger respondents. Teenagers of any age generally showed favorable response to the programs (Olsen, 1991). School Sex Education Many schools have already implemented a sex education program in their curriculum to address issues regarding premarital pregnancy, sexually transmitted disease and basic social and sexual matters. A study (Marsiglio, 1986) conducted on the impact of school sex education methods on sexual activity, premarital pregnancy, and the use of contraceptives yielded the fact that roughly half of the American population has, in one way or another, taken a sex education course in school. The study also iterates the following. Sixty percent of women and 52 percent of men now in their 20s took a sex education course by age 19, according to the 1984 National Longitudinal Survey of Work Experience of Youth. Whites are more likely than either blacks or Hispanics to have had a course by that age--57 percent compared with 53 percent and 48 percent, respectively. The study further uncovered that most Americans have already had their first coitus experience even before having a sex education class. It also concludes with data that suggest that students who have previously taken sex education classes are somewhat likelier to initiate sexual activity during the ages of 15 and 16. However, among teenagers of the ages 17 and 18, there was no significant difference between sexual activity among those who had previously taken sex education courses and those who did not. Older sexually active girls have who had previously taken sex education courses were more likely to use contraceptives than those who did not (Marsiglio, 1986). This method, however, provides evidence that it contributes to a significant increase in awareness regarding sex and contraception among teenagers. Mass Media (Television, Radio) It has become increasingly clear that even popular mass media can be a force to educate and inform people regarding sexual matters and issues. This line of thought has resulted in what is now known as edutainment. Edutainment, as a term, can be defined as using an entertainment vehicle to forward educational content and increase knowledge, and change attitude towards learning and education (Keller, 2002). To test this theory, a field study was conducted in Tanzania on the effects of one such edutainment medium. The medium, a radio soap opera entitled Twende na Wakati (“Let’s Go With the Times”), dealt with issues such as family planning among others. Data gathered suggested that about 22% of the program’s listeners had adopted family planning as a result of staying tuned to the program in 1995 alone (Keller, 2002). Within the area of the experiment, the figure of women who have adopted family planning rose from 29% to 41% through the years 1993 to 1997. Data from surrounding clinics also verified the perception that many of the people that lived in the surrounding area adopted a form of family planning. The soap opera was also tested for its effect on awareness regarding sexually transmitted diseases, especially AIDS. Five annual surveys revealed that the radio soap opera was directly responsible for a reduction in the number of sexual partners its listeners engaged with. It also showed an increase in number of men who have adopted the use of condoms. Aside from these results, the study also reported increased awareness on proper procedures to be taken to avoid and mitigate the transmission of sexually transmitted disease. Home Sex Education The home is generally thought of as one of the most important avenues for learning a child or teenager may have. Although most would suggest that the best education can only come from accredited educational institutions, it still remains that many still think that greater home interaction and learning is still very important (Baldwin, 1999). A study by Kirby (1999) revealed that there was no clear and direct relationship between greater parent-adolescent communication and the probability that the adolescent would engage in risk situations with regards to sex. Yet, even though the study reached this conclusion it also affirms that the respondents do feel that this parent-adolescent relation is nonetheless important. A study by Heisler (2005) reveals that parents and offspring have a significant recollection of discussions in the home regarding sex. Mothers were found to be very satisfied with what they had taught their children regarding sex while the children reported moderate satisfaction with their home sex education. Other researchers, trying to take advantage of increases in the knowledge of family systems theory, sought to find the correlation between greater parent-adolescent communication and the amount of sex education one may receive at home (Baldwin, 1999). The respondent to the study were mostly Caucasian (90%) with 68% belonging to intact families. Questionnaires were given to assess the level of parent-adolescent interaction in the home as well as the amount of sex education discussed at home. The study showed that Adolescents that reported healthier home relationships had significantly more sex education at home. Fathers that reported healthy home relationships were more involved in the sex education of their children. Mothers on the other hand, reported that sex education at home had no correlation to healthy home relationships. Internet Sex Education Method With the explosion of the internet into virtually every business, social, and financial aspect of mankind, it would seem that the internet would make a great medium for sex education services among teenagers. A survey was conducted among teenagers in three schools in Merseyside, UK to determine the relevance of the internet as a sex education tool (Thetford, 2005). The study showed that these students regarded the internet only second to their peers as a viable source of information regarding sexual issues. Another study (Bull, 2001) was conducted to detail the reasons one may or may not participate in such a method of sex education learning. Among the useful data this study presented were the modes of internet communication respondents were most likely to engage int. Among the 4601 respondents who participated in the study, 61% would visit a sex education/STD information site. However, only 45% would open an email regarding such. Even fewer would join a chat with sex education as a topic. The study acknowledges that much research has to be conducted on proper methodologies in implementing an internet-based sex education curriculum. Conclusion The methods discussed in this report are but a small fraction of the available sex education methods available today. As the body of knowledge regarding learning theories and media efficacy regarding education increase, so will the methods for the dissemination of sex education issues. Each of the methods discussed above will claim to be effective in some way, each affected by the biases, belief system, and culture of the intended audience. The studies conducted and the data gathered regarding such alleviates some of the burden from the readers mind when considering the implications of these methods. With the data thus gathered regarding the various sex education avenues mentioned, it becomes easier to put these methods into perspective for future reference and use. Baldwin, S. E., & Baranoski, M. V. (1990). Family interactions and sex education in the home. Adolescence, 573-582. Bull, S., McFarlane, M., & King D. (2001). Barriers to STD/HIV prevention on the Iiternet . Health Education Research, 16(6), 661-670. Heisler, J. (2005). Family communication about sex: parents and college-aged offspring recall discussion topics, satisfaction, and parental involvement. Journal of Family Communication, 5(4), 295-312. Keller, S., & Brown, J. (2002). Media interventions to promote responsible sexual behavior. Journal of Sex Research. Kirby, D. (1999). Sexuality and sex education at home and school. Adolescence, 195-209 Marsiglio, W., & Mott, F. L. (1986). The impact of sex education on sexual activity, contraceptive use and premarital pregnancy among american teenagers.. Family Planning Perspectives, 18(4). Olsen, J., Weed, S., Ritz, G., & Jensen, L. (1991). The effects of three abstinence sex education programs on student attitudes toward sexual activity. Provo, Uta: Brigham Young University, 631-641. Thetford, C., Evans, B., & Gould B. (). Young people’s health project:the use of internet-based sex and relationships educational. , Retrieved Nov 30, 2005, from http://www.liv.ac.uk/geography/research_projects/sre/Health_poster.pdf. Read More