Perception Regarding Sex Education Among Female Students
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.55737/qjss.vi-i.25297Keywords:
Sex Education, Bodily Changes, Parental Bonding, Medium of Sex Education, TabooAbstract
The present study intends to explore the sources of sex education among females and to learn about their perceptions and difficulties encountered in regard to sex education. Data was collected through three focus groups from six participants aged between 20-23 years, accumulated by a purposive sampling method and analyzed through thematic analysis. The findings demonstrated that the majority of females reported that sex education is considered taboo because parents usually restrict their daughters from talking about this topic. Some mothers usually talk to their daughters about hormonal changes but neglect their sons. Initial sex education helps to reduce childhood abuse, but unfortunately, most individuals get their sex education through different mediums instead of their parents. The difficulties in attaining sex education include social, cultural and personal values. Rural areas faced the most sexual and medical problems due to a lack of education and shame associated with bodily changes among both genders. Sexually transmitted diseases remain untreated in rural areas. This study helps to understand different perspectives, sources and difficulties in acquiring sex education. The findings are helpful for educators, policymakers and counsellors in addressing this most important topic of education and associated challenges encountered by young adults and adolescents.
References
Bretherton, I. (1985). Attachment theory: Retrospect and prospect. Monographs of the Society for Research in Child Development, 50(1/2), 3. https://doi.org/10.2307/3333824
Brooks-Gunn, J., & Furstenberg Jr, F. F. (1990). Coming of age in the era of AIDS: Puberty, sexuality, and contraception. The Milbank Quarterly, 59-84. https://www.jstor.org/stable/3350057
Browne, A., & Finkelhor, D. (1986). Impact of child sexual abuse: A review of the research. Psychological Bulletin, 99(1), 66–77. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.99.1.66
Eisenberg, M. E., Bernat, D. H., Bearinger, L. H., & Resnick, M. D. (2008). Support for comprehensive sexuality education: perspectives from parents of school-age youth. The Journal of Adolescent Health: Official Publication of the Society for Adolescent Medicine, 42(4), 352–359. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2007.09.019
Fentahun, N., Assefa, T., Alemseged, F., & Ambaw, F. (2012). Parents' perception, students' and teachers' attitude towards school sex education. Ethiopian journal of health sciences, 22(2), 99-106. https://www.ajol.info/index.php/ejhs/article/view/79271
Tri Harinie, L., Sudiro, A., Rahayu, M., & Fatchan, A. (2017). Study of the Bandura’s social cognitive learning theory for the entrepreneurship learning process. Social Sciences, 6(1), 1-6. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ss.20170601.11
Hyde, K. F. (2000). Recognising deductive processes in qualitative research. Qualitative Market Research An International Journal, 3(2), 82–90. https://doi.org/10.1108/13522750010322089
McManus, A., & Dhar, L. (2008). Study of knowledge, perception and attitude of adolescent girls towards STIs/HIV, safer sex and sex education: (a cross sectional survey of urban adolescent school girls in South Delhi, India). BMC Women’s Health, 8(1), 12. https://doi.org/10.1186/1472-6874-8-12
Measor, L. (2004). Young people’s views of sex education: gender, information and knowledge. Sex Education, 4(2), 153–166. https://doi.org/10.1080/14681810410001678338
Kumar, R., Goyal, A., Singh, P., Bhardwaj, A., Mittal, A., & Yadav, S. S. (2017). Knowledge attitude and perception of sex education among school going adolescents in Ambala district, Haryana, India: A cross-sectional study. Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research: JCDR, 11(3), LC01–LC04. https://doi.org/10.7860/JCDR/2017/19290.9338
Orgocka, A. (2004). Perceptions of communication and education about sexuality among Muslim immigrant girls in the US. Sex Education, 4(3), 255–271. https://doi.org/10.1080/1468181042000243349
Roche, K. M., Ahmed, S., & Blum, R. W. (2008). Enduring consequences of parenting for risk behaviors from adolescence into early adulthood. Social Science & Medicine (1982), 66(9), 2023–2034. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2008.01.009
Reyna, V. F. (2008). A theory of medical decision making and health: fuzzy trace theory. Medical Decision Making: An International Journal of the Society for Medical Decision Making, 28(6), 850–865. https://doi.org/10.1177/0272989X08327066
Rogers, R. W. (1975). A protection motivation theory of fear appeals and attitude Change1. The Journal of Psychology, 91(1), 93–114. https://doi.org/10.1080/00223980.1975.9915803
Silva, M. (2002). The effectiveness of school-based sex education programs in the promotion of abstinent behavior: a meta-analysis. Health Education Research, 17(4), 471–481. https://doi.org/10.1093/17.4.471
Wight, D., Raab, G. M., Henderson, M., Abraham, C., Buston, K., Hart, G., & Scott, S. (2002). Limits of teacher delivered sex education: interim behavioural outcomes from randomised trial. BMJ (Clinical Research Ed.), 324(7351), 1430. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.324.7351.1430
Zelnik, M., & Kim, Y. J. (1982). Sex education and its association with teenage sexual activity, pregnancy and contraceptive use. Family Planning Perspectives, 14(3), 117–126. https://doi.org/10.2307/2134709
