Sex Education as a Tool for Reducing HIV/AIDS Among Youths in Ivo Local Government Area of Ebonyi State
Chapter One
Objective of the study
The objectives of the study are;
- To ascertain the extent the sexuality education is felt to be important in youths
- To ascertain the extent youths have knowledge about using contraceptives to be prevented from STD-HIV/AIDS
- To ascertain the impact of sex education on HIV/AIDS reduction among youths
CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
Sexual Education
Sex education is the provision of information about bodily development, sex, sexuality, and relationships, along with skills-building to help young people communicate about and make informed decisions regarding sex and their sexual health. Sex education should occur throughout a student’s grade levels, with information appropriate to students’ development and cultural background. It should include information about puberty and reproduction, abstinence, contraception and condoms, relationships, sexual violence prevention, body image, gender identity and sexual orientation. It should be taught by trained teachers. Sex education should be informed by evidence of what works best to prevent unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections, but it should also respect young people’s right to complete and honest information. Sex education should treat sexual development as a normal, natural part of human development.
Sex education is the provision of information about bodily development, sex, sexuality, and relationships, along with skills-building to help young people communicate about and make informed decisions regarding sex and their sexual health. Sex education should occur throughout a student’s grade levels, with information appropriate to students’ development and cultural background. It should include information about puberty and reproduction, abstinence, contraception and condoms, relationships, sexual violence prevention, body image, gender identity and sexual orientation. It should be taught by trained teachers. Sex education should be informed by evidence of what works best to prevent unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections, but it should also respect young people’s right to complete and honest information. Sex education should treat sexual development as a normal, natural part of human development.
sexual health education important to young people’s health and well-being
Comprehensive sexual health education covers a range of topics throughout the student’s grade levels. Along with parental and community support, it can help young people:
Avoid negative health consequences. Each year in the United States, about 750,000 teens become pregnant, with up to 82 percent of those pregnancies being unintended. Young people ages 15-24 account for 25 percent of all new HIV infections in the U.S. and make up almost one-half of the over 19 million new STD infections Americans acquire each year. Sex education teaches young people the skills they need to protect themselves.
Communicate about sexuality and sexual health.Throughout their lives, people communicate with parents, friends and intimate partners about sexuality. Learning to freely discuss contraception and condoms, as well as activities they are not ready for, protects young people’s health throughout their lives. Delay sexual initiation until they are ready. Comprehensive sexual health education teaches abstinence as the only 100 percent effective method of preventing HIV, STIs, and unintended pregnancy – and as a valid choice which everyone has the right to make. Dozens of sex education programs have been proven effective at helping young people delay sex or have sex less often.
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
INTRODUCTION
In this chapter, we described the research procedure for this study. A research methodology is a research process adopted or employed to systematically and scientifically present the results of a study to the research audience viz. a vis, the study beneficiaries.
RESEARCH DESIGN
Research designs are perceived to be an overall strategy adopted by the researcher whereby different components of the study are integrated in a logical manner to effectively address a research problem. In this study, the researcher employed the survey research design. This is due to the nature of the study whereby the opinion and views of people are sampled. According to Singleton & Straits, (2009), Survey research can use quantitative research strategies (e.g., using questionnaires with numerically rated items), qualitative research strategies (e.g., using open-ended questions), or both strategies (i.e., mixed methods). As it is often used to describe and explore human behaviour, surveys are therefore frequently used in social and psychological research.
POPULATION OF THE STUDY
According to Udoyen (2019), a study population is a group of elements or individuals as the case may be, who share similar characteristics. These similar features can include location, gender, age, sex or specific interest. The emphasis on study population is that it constitutes of individuals or elements that are homogeneous in description.
This study was carried to examine sex education as a tool for reducing HIV/AIDs among youths. Youths of Ivo Local government area form the population of the study.
CHAPTER FOUR
DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS
INTRODUCTION
This chapter presents the analysis of data derived through the questionnaire and key informant interview administered on the respondents in the study area. The analysis and interpretation were derived from the findings of the study. The data analysis depicts the simple frequency and percentage of the respondents as well as interpretation of the information gathered. A total of eighty (80) questionnaires were administered to respondents of which only seventy-seven (77) were returned and validated. This was due to irregular, incomplete and inappropriate responses to some questionnaire. For this study a total of 77 was validated for the analysis.
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
introduction
It is important to ascertain that the objective of this study was to ascertain sex education as a tool for reducing HIV/AIDS among youths in Ivo local government of Ebonyi State. In the preceding chapter, the relevant data collected for this study were presented, critically analyzed and appropriate interpretation given. In this chapter, certain recommendations made which in the opinion of the researcher will be of benefits in addressing the challenges of sex education as a tool for reducing HIV/AIDS among youths in Ivo local government of Ebonyi State
Summary
This study was on sex education as a tool for reducing HIV/AIDS among youths in Ivo local government of Ebonyi State. Three objectives were raised which included: To ascertain the extent the sexuality education is felt to be important in youths, to ascertain the extent youths have knowledge about using contraceptives to be prevented from STD-HIV/AIDS and to ascertain the impact of sex education on HIV/AIDS reduction among youths. The study adopted a survey research design and conveniently enrolled 80 participants in the study. A total of 77 responses were received and validated from the enrolled participants where all respondents were drawn from youths of Ivo Local government area. Hypothesis was tested using Chi-Square statistical tool (SPSS).
Conclusion
Sex education is a critical tool for HIV prevention among youth, and research suggests school-based HIV prevention programs are cost-effective when implemented in the context of combination prevention. Intervention evaluations need to go beyond addressing the question of whether school-based sex education increases knowledge and focus instead on understanding implementation factors that led to the most success in shaping and changing subsequent HIV-related risk behaviors. As recently stated by the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Right to Education, access to education about sex and reproductive health is a human right; therefore, greater efforts should be made to identify and scale-up effective interventions. However, school-based education alone cannot be relied on to prevent HIV infections among young people since not all young people attend school and since school funds and resources are often already strained. Instead, school-based sex education should be part of more holistic HIV prevention intervention aiming to engage young people in learning about and shaping their sexual and reproductive future.
Recommendation
Communities should implement curriculum-based sex and HIV education programs, preferably those proven to be effective with similar populations or those incorporating the characteristics of effective programs. Because these programs can reduce sexual risk-taking by a modest amount, communities should not rely solely on these programs to address problems of HIV, other STDs, and pregnancy, but should view them as an important component in a larger initiative that can reduce sexual risk-taking behavior to some degree.
References
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