Do Parents and Students Want Sexual Health Education Programs Taught In The Schools?

Yes! Survey research consistently shows that Canadian parents and students want schools to provide sexual health education programs. For example, Lawlor and Purcell (1988) found that 95% of their sample of Montreal area parents of high school students approved of sexuality education in the schools. Verby and Herold's (1992) survey of parents in an urban area of Ontario indicated that 98% were in favour of AIDS education. A more recent series of surveys of Canadian parents found that over 85% of parents agreed with the statement, "Sexual health education should be provided in the schools", and a majority of parents approved of schools' providing students with information on reproduction, birth control, STD/AIDS prevention, healthy relationships, abstinence, sexual orientation, puberty, sexual abuse/rape, and individual, family, and community moral beliefs about sexuality (Langille, Langille, Beazley, & Doncaster, 1996; McKay, 1996; McKay, Pietrusiak & Holowaty, 1998).

A recent survey in Ontario found that 89% of adolescents felt that it was important for them to receive sexual health education (McKay & Holowaty, 1997). From a list of six possible sources, the adolescents rated the school as their most preferred source of sexual health information, followed by family and friends. The students in this survey rated the following 12 topics as important areas to be addressed in school-based sexual health education programs: preventing sexually transmitted diseases; sexual assault/rape; how to get testing and treatment for STDs; methods of birth control; conception/pregnancy/birth; building good/equal relationships; making decisions about sexuality and relationships; saying no to sex; parenting skills; talking with girlfriends/boyfriends about sexual issues; peer pressure; and puberty (McKay & Holowaty, 1997). A recent replication of this study had similar results (HKPR Health Unit, 1999).