CJHS Abstracts: Vol 12(1) 2003

The Canadian Journal of Human Sexuality (CJHS)

Volume 12, Number 1, 2003
An Adolescent Perspective on Sexual Health Education at School and at Home: I. High School Students. E. Sandra Byers, Heather A. Sears, Susan D. Voyer, Jennifer L. Thurlow, Jacqueline N. Cohen, and Angela D. Weaver, University of New Brunswick In this study, we assessed high school students’ attitudes toward and experiences with sexual health education (SHE) at school and at home. The participants were 1663 youths enrolled in Grades 9-12 in New Brunswick. Almost all students were in favour of SHE at school (92%). The majority (77%) also agreed that schools and parents should share responsibility for SHE, although girls and Grade 12 students were more positive about parents and schools sharing this responsibility than boys and students in Grades 9, 10 and 11. Most students thought that SHE should start in middle school, and that each of 27 sexual health topics should be covered in middle school or before. About one half of students rated the quality of the school-based SHE they had received as fair or poor. They highlighted a need for more factual information as well as practical skills related to a wide range of sexual health topics. Over one half of students were positive about their most recent sexual health teacher and about two thirds rated the SHE they had received at home as good or better. Gender and grade level analyses indicated that, overall, these results apply to girls and boys, and to students across the high school years. (The Canadian Journal of Human Sexuality, 2003; 12: 1-18). An Adolescent Perspective on Sexual Health Education at School and at Home: II. Middle School Students. E. Sandra Byers, Heather A. Sears, Susan D. Voyer, Jennifer L. Thurlow, Jacqueline N. Cohen, and Angela D. Weaver, University of New Brunswick Attitudes toward and experiences with sexual health education (SHE) at school and at home were assessed in a sample of 745 middle school students enrolled in grades 6-8 in New Brunswick. Students were in favour of SHE at school (93%), and the majority (69%) agreed that schools and parents should share this responsibility. Almost all students thought that SHE should start in middle school or sooner. Less than one half of the students who had received SHE agreed that the topics in which they were most interested had been covered. They also highlighted a need for more factual information and for practical skills associated with a variety of sexual health topics. Most students were positive about their most recent sexual health teacher. However, less than one half of youths were positive about the SHE they had received at home. Gender and grade level analyses indicated that, overall, these results apply to girls and boys, and to students across the middle school years. (The Canadian Journal of Human Sexuality, 2003; 12: 19-34). Emotions and Motivations in First Adolescent Intercourse: An Exploratory Study Based on Object Relations Theory. Jane D. Woody, University of Nebraska-Omaha, Henry J. D’Souza, University of Nebraska-Omaha, and Robin Russel, State University of New York at Binghampton. This study examined first voluntary sexual intercourse as recalled by a sample of 106 young adults (mean age 19.2) with the goal of exploring intrapsychic motivations (based on object relations theory) and emotions prior to the event and their relationship to behaviours/reactions during and personal outcomes subsequent to the event. Before the experience, males had more positive emotions than females, total scores for healthy or unhealthy motivations for intercourse (according to object relations theory) did not differ for gender (although differences were found for several individual items), and being older predicted higher scores on healthy motivations. During first intercourse, neither emotions, motivations, gender, nor age was associated with condom or contraception use; only being male predicted orgasm. Findings on outcomes provided some support for the effects of motivations, emotions, gender, and age. The type of relationship was also related to the nature of the intercourse experience. Overall, the results suggest a rather complicated picture of object relations in the context of first intercourse, yet they expand our understanding of adolescent sexual development, and suggest directions for future research for effective sexuality education. (The Canadian Journal of Human Sexuality, 2003; 12: 35-51). Sexuality and People Living with Physical or Developmental Disabilities: A Review of Key Issues. Gina Di Giulio, University of Ottawa. People with disabilities often face obstacles to maximizing their potential as fully sexual human beings. People with disabilities may internalize negative societal assumptions and attitudes regarding the sexuality of people with disabilities. This paper examines key issues related to sexuality within the disabled population. It begins with an examination of how the traditional model of sexual response (i.e. Masters & Johnson) often does not apply well to people with physical disabilities. Societal, parental, and staff attitudes towards the sexuality of people with developmental disabilities are critically examined. Sexuality related obstacles and systemic barriers to sexual health faced by people with physical and developmental disabilities are reviewed (increased HIV/AIDS risk, vulnerability to sexual exploitation and abuse, reduced access to sexuality education for disabled youth, reduced access to privacy, sexuality related information and health care, and sexual partners). Recommendations for providing sexuality education and sex therapy to the disabled are provided. (The Canadian Journal of Human Sexuality. 2003; 12: 53-67).

Volume 12, Number 1, 2003

An Adolescent Perspective on Sexual Health Education at School and at Home: I. High School Students.
E. Sandra Byers, Heather A. Sears, Susan D. Voyer, Jennifer L. Thurlow, Jacqueline N. Cohen, and Angela D. Weaver, University of New Brunswick

In this study, we assessed high school students’ attitudes toward and experiences with sexual health education (SHE) at school and at home. The participants were 1663 youths enrolled in Grades 9-12 in New Brunswick. Almost all students were in favour of SHE at school (92%). The majority (77%) also agreed that schools and parents should share responsibility for SHE, although girls and Grade 12 students were more positive about parents and schools sharing this responsibility than boys and students in Grades 9, 10 and 11. Most students thought that SHE should start in middle school, and that each of 27 sexual health topics should be covered in middle school or before. About one half of students rated the quality of the school-based SHE they had received as fair or poor. They highlighted a need for more factual information as well as practical skills related to a wide range of sexual health topics. Over one half of students were positive about their most recent sexual health teacher and about two thirds rated the SHE they had received at home as good or better. Gender and grade level analyses indicated that, overall, these results apply to girls and boys, and to students across the high school years. (The Canadian Journal of Human Sexuality, 2003; 12: 1-18).

An Adolescent Perspective on Sexual Health Education at School and at Home: II. Middle School Students.
E. Sandra Byers, Heather A. Sears, Susan D. Voyer, Jennifer L. Thurlow, Jacqueline N. Cohen, and Angela D. Weaver, University of New Brunswick

Attitudes toward and experiences with sexual health education (SHE) at school and at home were assessed in a sample of 745 middle school students enrolled in grades 6-8 in New Brunswick. Students were in favour of SHE at school (93%), and the majority (69%) agreed that schools and parents should share this responsibility. Almost all students thought that SHE should start in middle school or sooner. Less than one half of the students who had received SHE agreed that the topics in which they were most interested had been covered. They also highlighted a need for more factual information and for practical skills associated with a variety of sexual health topics. Most students were positive about their most recent sexual health teacher. However, less than one half of youths were positive about the SHE they had received at home. Gender and grade level analyses indicated that, overall, these results apply to girls and boys, and to students across the middle school years. (The Canadian Journal of Human Sexuality, 2003; 12: 19-34).

Emotions and Motivations in First Adolescent Intercourse: An Exploratory Study Based on Object Relations Theory.
Jane D. Woody, University of Nebraska-Omaha, Henry J. D’Souza, University of Nebraska-Omaha, and Robin Russel, State University of New York at Binghampton.

This study examined first voluntary sexual intercourse as recalled by a sample of 106 young adults (mean age 19.2) with the goal of exploring intrapsychic motivations (based on object relations theory) and emotions prior to the event and their relationship to behaviours/reactions during and personal outcomes subsequent to the event. Before the experience, males had more positive emotions than females, total scores for healthy or unhealthy motivations for intercourse (according to object relations theory) did not differ for gender (although differences were found for several individual items), and being older predicted higher scores on healthy motivations. During first intercourse, neither emotions, motivations, gender, nor age was associated with condom or contraception use; only being male predicted orgasm. Findings on outcomes provided some support for the effects of motivations, emotions, gender, and age. The type of relationship was also related to the nature of the intercourse experience. Overall, the results suggest a rather complicated picture of object relations in the context of first intercourse, yet they expand our understanding of adolescent sexual development, and suggest directions for future research for effective sexuality education. (The Canadian Journal of Human Sexuality, 2003; 12: 35-51).

Sexuality and People Living with Physical or Developmental Disabilities: A Review of Key Issues.
Gina Di Giulio, University of Ottawa.

People with disabilities often face obstacles to maximizing their potential as fully sexual human beings. People with disabilities may internalize negative societal assumptions and attitudes regarding the sexuality of people with disabilities. This paper examines key issues related to sexuality within the disabled population. It begins with an examination of how the traditional model of sexual response (i.e. Masters & Johnson) often does not apply well to people with physical disabilities. Societal, parental, and staff attitudes towards the sexuality of people with developmental disabilities are critically examined. Sexuality related obstacles and systemic barriers to sexual health faced by people with physical and developmental disabilities are reviewed (increased HIV/AIDS risk, vulnerability to sexual exploitation and abuse, reduced access to sexuality education for disabled youth, reduced access to privacy, sexuality related information and health care, and sexual partners). Recommendations for providing sexuality education and sex therapy to the disabled are provided. (The Canadian Journal of Human Sexuality. 2003; 12: 53-67).

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