Who's teaching our children about sex?


Study says a quarter of youths under 16 have had sex but only half are using
contraception
THE RESULTS of a leaked report on the sexual behaviour Cypriot youths has
raised alarm bells over the level of sex education being delivered to
students.

According to the report, which was published in Greek language daily
Politis, almost one quarter of teens under 16 had already had sexual
relations, with almost half the respondents saying they knew a girl who had
an abortion.

The study was conducted by the Youth Board of Cyprus in association with the
Institute of Reproductive Medicine. A spokesperson for the groups yesterday
confirmed its contents but added that they couldn't comment any further as
the results were not yet finalised.

The report was compiled based on responses by students from school across
the country, ranging from the second to the sixth class of secondary
education.

Nearly 1,700 questionnaires were filled in, 750 of them from male students
and 920 from girls. Included were questions on abortions, unwanted
pregnancies as well as on the use of contraception.

According to the report, 24 per cent of all the students that took part in
the study have had sexual relationships. Almost 70 per cent (68%) of these
children had sex before they turned 16.

In addition to this, about 10 per cent of children involved in the survey
did admit to having homosexual relationships on at least one occasion.

A worrying part of the investigation relates to the sexual health of the
youngsters, with many of whom admit to not using contraception. One fifth of
those who have had relationships do not use condoms while less than half use
a condom every time, leaving them susceptible to Sexually Transmitted
Diseases (STDs).

This, however, is not the only issue. The lack of use of contraception has
also resulted in unwanted pregnancies among many of the youngsters. Even
though just 2.5 per cent of the children questioned claimed they have
experienced an unwanted pregnancy, more than half say that they know of a
girl under the age of 18 that has had an abortion.

From these, 64.8 per cent of them claim that the girl was 16 years of age or
under and three per cent of those who said they knew someone who had an
abortion said the girl was under the age of 12.

These reports do beg the question of sexual education at schools. According
to reports from a four-year study released in 2004, two thirds of teenagers
did not know that the contraceptive pill does not protect against sexually
transmitted diseases.

Given that teenagers tend to find out about sex from their peers,
authorities should examine the age at which students are educated. Despite
the fact that most girls are physically developed by the age of 15, many of
them may not be prepared or educated to become sexually active.

The full study has not been released yet. Apart from teenage sexual
behaviour, the study also investigated smoking, consumption of alcohol and
drug use among the youngsters, and should include some very interesting
revelations on the lifestyle of the youth of today.


By Nassos Stylianou

Friday, November 17, 2006
Cyprus Mail
http://www.cyprus-mail.com/news/