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Provides research-based answers to questions commonly posed by educators, parents, and others about the philosophy, methods, and impact of school sexual health education, discussing such issues as: whether these school programs are needed, what values they teach, whether the programs should teach about sexual orientation and abstinence, and whether teaching about contraception leads to earlier or increased sexual activity. (SM)

Surveyed Canadian facilities of education with training in elementary, secondary, and physical and health education to determine the extent to which their students received sexual health training. On average, 15.5 percent of the programs provided compulsory training in sexual health education, 26.2 percent had related optional courses, and 39.3 percent provided compulsory and/or optional sexual health training. (SM)

School-based sexual health education plays a key role in providing young people with the information, motivation, and skills needed to enhance their sexual health. However, the extent and quality of sexual health education curricula varies across Canada. Though parents' support is often considered when making curricular decisions, there is limited data examining parental attitudes towards sexual health education across Canada. In the current study, we examined parental attitudes towards school-based sexual health education in a national sample of Canadian parents. Using an online survey, we examined overall support for the inclusion of sexual health education in schools, perceived quality of the sexual health education children received, assessed support for 33 sexual health education topics, and determined if parental support varied across geographic regions. Participants were 2,000 parents with children attending elementary and/or secondary school in Canada. The majority of parents (85%) agreed that sexual health education should be taught in the schools. Support was high across all regions in Canada, ranging from 82% in Ontario to 91% in the Atlantic provinces. However, significantly fewer parents in Ontario and Quebec supported school-based sexual health education compared to other regions. Overall, parents want a wide variety of topics included in school-based sexual health education and support the teaching of foundational topics in the early and middle school grades. The current study is the first to use a national sample to examine parents' attitudes towards sexual health education in schools. Results can inform provincial/territorial health education policies and national sexual health promotion strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined the opinions and attitudes of Ontario parents regarding school-based sexual health education (SHE). Results are based on surveys from 1002 parents with children attending publically funded elementary or secondary schools in Ontario, Canada. A large majority (87%) of parents strongly agreed or agreed that SHE should be provided in school and 84% believed that SHE should start by middle school. All 13 sexual health topics posed to parents were rated as important or very important to teach. These topics included puberty, abstinence, methods of contraception, sexually transmitted infections, skills for healthy relationships, communication skills, sexual orientation, and media literacy. Parents rated themselves, doctors and nurses, and the school system as the most competent sources of SHE. Parents also indicated that it is important for their children to learn from an up-to-date SHE curriculum. There were some small differences in the attitudes of mothers and fathers; however, parents with children in public and separate Catholic schools did not significantly differ in their support for SHE in the schools. This study confirms past research from across Canada indicating that there is strong and sustained parental support for broadly-based SHE in the schools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Young adult Canadians of university age are highly sexually active compared to other age groups and are at relatively high risk for sexually transmitted infections (STI). It is therefore important to comprehensively assess condom use in this age group. In this study, the prevalence and individual predictors of condom use at last penile vaginal intercourse (PVI) were assessed in a national sample of 653 Canadian university students (252 male, 401 female). Overall, less than half of students (47.2%) reported condom use at last PVI. Condom use was higher among men (55.4%) than women (42.3%). For both men and women, the most frequently cited main reason for having used a condom was birth control. In multivariate analyses, the strongest predictor of condom use at last PVI was a preference for condoms as a contraceptive method; specifically, men and women who stated condoms were their preferred method were 9 and 23 times, respectively, more likely to use condoms at last PVI than those who selected another method. Female students who reported that their most recent sexual encounter occurred with a more committed partner (e.g., committed dating versus a hook-up) had slightly lower odds of reporting condom use at last PVI. The results indicated that rates of condom use are low among Canadian university students and that many students are likely at high risk for STI. Interventions to raise awareness of STIs are needed on Canadian university campuses and educational programs should emphasize improving attitudes towards condoms in addition to developing sexual health knowledge and condom use skills. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Access to effective, broadly-based sexual health education is an important contributing factor to the health and well-being of Canadian youth. This resource document provides research-based answers to 16 common questions that parents, communities, educators, health and school administrators, and governments may have about sexual health education in the schools. These questions and answers focus on issues that include the current status of adolescent sexual health, parents' and students' opinions regarding sexual health education, the impact of sexual health education on behaviour, the key ingredients of effective programs, the appropriateness of "abstinence-only" approaches, and the social and economic benefits of providing sexual health education. This document supports sexual health education in the schools that is grounded in democratic principles, informed by credible research, and consistent with the Public Health Agency of Canada's (2008) Canadian Guidelines for Sexual Health Education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article summarizes a report on trends in Canadian teen pregnancy, abortion and birth rates for the years 1974 to 2000. Published data from the "Canadian Youth, Sexual Health and HIV/AIDS Study," are used to compare key indicators of adolescent sexual behavior measured in 1988 and 2002. There are data used to identify age-related trends in adolescent contraceptive and safer sex behavior. Corroborative data from other studies are included throughout the report. The data presented and discussed were used for the purposes of identifying priorities for adolescent sexual health care provision and sexual health education. A brief guide to conducting a clinical sexual health risk assessment with adolescent patients and clients that recognizes the diversity and emphasizes the importance of dual protection against unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections.

This article summarizes several researches on human sexuality. The sexual wellbeing of people who undergone hysterectomy improved and the type of surgical procedure technique does not determine the persistence or development of sexual problems post-hysterectomy. Condom use promotes regression of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia and clearance of human papillomavirus. A small percentage of sexually active youth are practicing condom and hormonal contraception use. The American and Canadian young adults have been influenced by the globalization of sexuality in the direction of greater sexual tolerance and permissiveness.

The article examines pre-service sexual health education training of elementary, secondary and physical and health education teachers in Canada. The effectiveness of school-based sexual health education depends, in part, on the preparation of the teachers who provide it. In the absence of published literature on the extent to which the Bachelor of Education programs at Canadian university faculties of education provide pre-service training for this role; the present study surveyed all such programs in elementary, secondary, and physical and health education to determine the extent to which their students received sexual health education training. On an average, 15.5% of the B.Ed. programs surveyed provided compulsory training in sexual health education; 26.2% had related optional courses although respondents estimated that a little over one third of their students took one of these optional courses. Overall, 39.3% provided compulsory and/or optional sexual health training (range = 32.4% for elementary education to 52.4% for physical and health education). The programs that did provide sexual health training generally assigned average or above average emphasis to all three of the key components of sexual health education (knowledge, motivation and skill development), although there was considerable variability between individual programs in time allocated and topic emphasis.

The article focuses on parent's opinion and attitude about sexual health education in schools. Previous research has consistently shown that a strong majority of parents in both Canada and the U.S. want sexuality education to be taught in the schools. Survey research also suggests that parents want sexual health education programs to include a wide range of topics, and that schools should begin addressing most of these topics at the elementary level. However, perceptions of parental support for broadly based sexual health education in the schools can be influenced, particularly at the local level, by a number of factors. For example, in a particular community, those who oppose the provision of sexual health education in the schools or who argue that sexual health education should only embody a particular ideological vision of sexual health may be highly vocal and persistent in promoting their point of view, thereby giving the impression that they represent a large proportion of community opinion.

Although physicians can be an important source of sexual health information and counseling for adolescents, little is known about adolescents' use of physicians for these services. As part of a community effort to establish a health service for students attending a Nova Scotia high school, the author surveyed 656 male and 647 female Grade 10 -12 students attending the school on a range of sexual health issues including their discussions with their physicians about sexual health issues. Over 80% of males and 90% of females reported that they had a family physician. With respect to sexual behavior, about 40% of Grade 10 students, 50% of Grade 11 students and 60% of Grade 12 students reported being sexually experienced. Sexually active students were significantly more likely to have visited their family physician in the last year. However, of students with a family physician, only 8.7% of male students and 37.9% of female students had discussed with their physician whether they were sexually active.