Despite policy provision enabling sexuality education to address more than disease and pregnancy prevention, this focus continues to permeate many school programmes. This paper problematises the danger prevention emphasis in sexuality education, examines school's investment in it and asks how useful it is. The ways this kind of sexuality education…

This study presents the perspective of vulnerable Canadian (Quebecker) adolescents defined as such on account of their numerous experiences with potential or actual fatherhood or exposure to sexually transmitted infection. The interviews allowed youth to talk about their experiences with paternity, their sex lives and their views on sex education.…

Texas is home to over one million Latino teens who are at risk for negative reproductive health outcomes, such as teen pregnancy and STIs. Teen pregnancy disproportionately impacts the health of Latino teens in Texas and places them at risk of continued high rates of poverty, school dropout, and unemployment unless Texas makes a concerted effort…

In 1981, the first grants for what later came to be called "abstinence-only" programs were authorized under the Adolescent Family Life Act (AFLA). Sponsored by congressional family planning opponents, AFLA was promoted as a "family-centered" alternative to contraceptive counseling and services to teenagers; instead, this…

The purpose of this study was to determine sexual risk behaviors among Zimbabwean adolescents with and without disabilities. Participants included 456 Zimbabwean high school students. Results indicated that more males than females engaged in sexual activities as early as nine years of age or younger. Females who reported having had sex, also…

The reproductive health of American adolescents has been, and continues to be, a matter of serious concern. America's teen birth rate--already one of the highest among developed nations--is again on the rise. Also, rates of sexually-transmitted infection (STI) among teens remain disconcertingly high, with one-quarter of the 19 million new cases of…

This study presents the results of an evaluation of a peer-based HIV/AIDS education program, the BASE program, as implemented in a suburban high school setting. The participants were 132 high school students who participated in an "AIDS Awareness Day" as a part of the BASE program in their high school. Each student completed preintervention and…

While condoms are an effective defense against the transmission of HIV, large numbers of sex workers are not using them. We argue that some sex workers are willing to take the risk because clients are willing to pay more to avoid using condoms. Using data from Mexico, we estimate that sex workers received a 23 percent premium for unprotected sex.…

Discusses what is currently known about acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS), including routes for the transmission of the AIDS virus, the prevention of AIDS, and some of the non-issues regarding the disease. Urges community leaders and teachers to become more involved in AIDS education. (TW)

I use a randomized experiment to test whether information can change sexual behavior among teenagers in Kenya. Providing information on the relative risk of HIV infection by partner's age led to a 28% decrease in teen pregnancy, an objective proxy for the incidence of unprotected sex. Self-reported sexual behavior data suggests substitution away…

The high level of HIV infection in sub-Saharan Africa has led to an increased interest in understanding the determinants of sexual activity among young people, who are at high risk of sexually transmitted infections. The present study examined sociodemographic, behavioral, and psychosocial factors associated with heterosexual activity among a…

Drawing on data derived from two socially contrasting primary schools in Durban, this paper focuses on how gender and sexuality feature in the teaching and discussion of HIV/AIDS. A detailed analysis of two "life-skills" lessons in the two schools shows that, despite the social differences between the schools, discussions of gender and…

A preliminary search of the Internet reveals the multiplicity of issues addressed under the topic of sexuality and education. Terms such as gender identity, sexual orientation, women's health, abuse, abstinence, education of children, teens, and parents, HIV/AIDS, morality and sexual ethics indicate the many different dimensions of contemporary…

U.S. teen pregnancy and birth rates remain among the highest in the western world. And although Latina teens were the only group to experience a decline in birth rate between 2006 and 2007, they continue to experience the highest rates in most states and across the nation. About half of all Latina teens experience pregnancy before they reach their…