CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background
to the Study
Adolescence is
a time when young people are learning a great deal about themselves and
adjusting to rapid change in their bodies: During early adolescence, many
experience a new uncertainty about their bodies and how they function. They
need information and assurance about what is happening to them. As they mature,
some feet confused about what they are supposed to do in a variety of
situation-including making sense of evolving relationship with family and
peers, coping with new sexual feeling and trying to assess conflicting messages
about who they are and what is expected of them.
Parents, educators, and communities
all face the challenge of creating environments that support and nurture good
sexual health. Young people need sexual education programmes that model and
teaches positive self worth, responsibility, understanding and acceptance of
diversity and sexual health. Many people still believe that sexual education
would encourage “sexual experimentation and several studies have been conducted
to determine whether sexual education actually increase young people’s sexual
involvement.
On of these is the Landmark study
commissioned by the World health organization (WHO) in 1993, which conclusively
showed that contrary to long-held beliefs --- no significant relationship
exists between receiving formal sexual education and initiating sexual
activity. Rather, sexual education results in postponement or reduction in the
frequency of sexual activity and more effective use of contraception and
adoption of safer behaviour.
Instead of informing adolescents
only about the health risks and potential negative consequences associated with
sexual activity, adults need to provide young people with more balanced
messages. Adolescences need receive clear, protective messages about sexual
decision-making, but the also need to hear affirming message about healthy of
relationships and healthy sexuality. Sexuality is more than sexual activity. If
deals with many aspects of life, including biology, gender roles, body image
and interpersonal; thoughts beliefs, values, attitudes and feeling and sexual
behaviours.
Young people should be assisted to develop
a positive sense of their own sexuality by creating opportunities for them to
consider all aspects of sexuality, to ask questions, and understand that there
are adults who support them as they learn about this part of themselves.
Understanding the elements of one’s sexuality is a life long process. It
involves acquiring information and forming attitudes and values about identity,
relationship, and intimacy. Comprehensive sexual education is broad-based and
addresses all aspects of sexuality and sexual health.
In the past, it was normal to
protect adolescents form receiving education on sexual matters as it was
falsely believed that ignorance would encourage chastity; yet the rampant
unprotected sexual activities among adolescents and the devastating consequences
is evidence of the failure of this approach. Studies of the sexual and
reproductive health behaviour of Nigerian youth confirm that they had not been
formally taught properly about sexuality. Their information on this important
subject comes from peers, news magazines and biology classes. Though a high
percentage expressed the view that they should not engage in premarital sex
activity, 25% to 50% disclosed that they were already sexual active. According the
Broderick C.B (1999). Almost 25%, of youth girls in questioned stated that
their first experience of sexual intercourse through rape or one in which they
were forced to have sexual intercourse.
In Nigeria, like many other
developing countries, adequate attention had not been given to adolescent
reproduction health, despite the fact that recent data has shown that age at
menarche is dropping; there is early initiation of sexual activity; there is a
high incidence of teenage pregnancy: and that teenager’s account for 80% of
unsafe abortion complications treated in hospitals. Generally speaking, arising
from our Socio-cultural heritage issue relating to sexuality are usually not
openly discussed. However, documented evidence shows that there has been a
break down of other socio-cultural norms, values and practices that used to as
checks to premarital sexual activity.
Although we see sexuality around us
every day, sexual education and services for adolescents remains controversial
issue in Nigeria. According to Dawkina. J(1994) surveys conducted nationally
show that Barents who ought to be the primary sexual educators of their
children and the communicate to them specific values about sexuality play the
least role in this area – schools, too provide little or no sexual education
for young people, leaving their equally misinformed pears as the primary source
of information on this issue.
1.2 Statement
of the Problem
Sex education-a tool for reducing
HIV/AIDS among secondary school Students in Ikwo Local Government Area of
Ebonyi State is a problem; its controversy has made many to learn to sit up
through hard experience. AIDS a killer disease has become a serious problem in
Ebonyi State and in Ikwo Local government Area in particular. Each time, a
man/woman is dead or a child is lost through this deadly disease. Some children
become 0rphans, a woman become a widow and family head. She is ill-prepared
for or some parents become childless.
Each time HIV/AIDS infection leads to the death of a family member, social life
and psychological well-being are affected. In order to curb the ever-increasing
transmission of HIV/AIDs infections, there is the need for all agents of
education to socialize all and agents of education to socialize all and sundry
to develop positive sexual behaviour that will result in prevention and control
of HIV/AIDS in Ikwo Local Government Area of Ebonyi State;
1.3 Purpose
of the Study
The main purpose of this study is to
investigate Sex education as a tool for reducing HIV/AIDS among secondary
school students in Ikwo Local government area of Ebonyi State. On the specific,
the study finds out the target of
achieving the following objectives:
1. To
determine to what extent has sex education reduced HIV/AIDs among secondary
school students in Ikwo Local Government area of Ebonyi State.
2. To
find out the effect HIV/AIDS among secondary school Students in Ikwo LGA.
3. To
examine parent’s contribution towards sexual education of youths in Ikwo Local Government
Area.
4. To
suggest possible ways of reducing or preventing of such social ill of HIV/AIDS
scourge in Ikwo Local Government Area of Ebonyi State.
1.4 Significance of the Study
The pertinence of this study is
backed up with its attendant contribution to up date teachers knowledge, the
parents, educational stake holder and learners the value sex education to
youths and adults in our society. It is also fascinating to recall that this
research work assist curriculum planers to plan more appropriate the learning
and teaching of sex education in junior and senior secondary schools.
The study is also, useful for
married couples who would learn more the need to teach their children sex
education in respective of their misconception, cultural norms and religious
beliefs about sex education. This work is also in no small way useful to marriage
counselors who would learn more on ho to teach newly wedded couples the importance
of sex education in Ikwo Local Government Area.
Government on its own should make
sex education as one of the compulsory subjects to be taught at secondary and
teacher’s training institutions in the country. Finally this study has a focus
on the entire community of Ikwo Local government Area needs to be involved to
help young people develop a healthy sexuality.
1.5 Scope
of the Study
The study of sex education, a tool
for reducing HIV/AID among secondary school students is limited to Ikwo Local
Government Area of Ebonyi State, which would among others strive to find out
the extent, sex-education has reduced the spread of HIV/AIDS scourge, which its
increase is at alarming rate at present. The study also focused on the sex
education a tool for reducing HIV/AIDS among secondary school students in Ikwo
Local government Area of Ebonyi State.
1.6 Research
Questions
Following the Basic of researcher
work four research questions were formulated to guide the study as follows:
1. Does
Sex education reduce the rate of HIV/AIDS spread in secondary school?
2. Do
parents contribute to educate youths on Sex education?
3. In
what ways has HIV/AIDS affect the health of secondary school students in Ikwo
Local Government Area.
4. What
is the role of church to reduce the HIV/AID infections in Ikwo Local Government
Area.