Factors influencing the level of knowledge regarding sexual behavior of teenagers in towns
Sirko, I.; Poreba, R.
Ginekologia Polska 64(8): 380-385
1993
ISSN/ISBN: 0017-0011 PMID: 8375718 Document Number: 332709
A group of 386 students from the 7th and 8th grades of a municipal elementary school was examined using test questionnaires during May, 1990-March, 1992. A training session was held for 4262 students at a family health center about the physiology of human sexuality during this time. Anonymous research questionnaires were administered to a group of 2477 students. Detailed analysis of the findings focused on 386 students in 7th grade concerning previous knowledge about development and sex life in school. The group whose knowledge was assessed and who were given the lecture subsequently underwent a repeated examination 8-12 months later. The research was also completed with students of the 8th grade who had not been given a lecture in the 7th grade, and who served as the control group. 64% of girls and 66% of boys were of working class origin. 8.3% of mothers and 0.9% of fathers participated in the sex education of their children. Regarding sex education in school, 26% of girls and 42.3% of boys stated that it was not adequate, 43.4% of girls and 31.1% of boys considered it adequate, 26.3% of girls and 26.6% of boys deemed it good, and only 4.3% of girls thought it very good. The main sources of information concerning sex among working class girls were from friends (26.2%); school (25.1%); press, video, and TV (24%); parents (13.4%), and medical literature (11.3%). The percentages for children of more educated parents were similar except that 17.3 of boys (vs. 8.1% of the working class boys) obtained information from medical literature and 19.1% of girls and 10.5% of boys from parents. The effect of the sex education session one year subsequently among working class girls was evidenced in the increase of medical literature information source from 11.3% to 25.1%; and from 8.1% to 13.4% among boys. Among girls of more educated parents, this source went up from 9.1% to 29.1% and from 17.3% to 19.7% among boys. The main factors that influenced the knowledge of students were age, social origin, and early instruction in school.