Did you have good formal sex health education? What did it involve? Do you feel informed enough?
PSD (personal and social development) lessons at the secondary school I attended were not given that much importance. I felt they were simply there to fill gaps in our timetable.
The sex education I received was from a biological point of view, basically the process of creating life. I was given no professional teaching about the beautiful and responsible act of sex in everyday life. I have since broadened my knowledge about sexual health by asking professional and experienced people in this field and by researching the subject. Gaby Curmi, 20, BA (Hons) Tourism.
Yes, I received a reasonably good sexual health education, but it could have been introduced earlier in my education. In Form 5, we were able to attend talks by doctors on sexual health and we had plenty of PSD sessions on the topic. Becky Brincat, 19, Bachelor of Laws.
Yes, I had good formal sexual health education. It consisted mainly of talks by health care professionals at secondary school and sixth form. Matthew Manfre, 22, Bachelor of Pharmacy.
What role does the media play in sex education? Did your peers at other private/Church/State schools have a different sex education experience?
Without a doubt, our constant contact with visual media influences everything we meet in life. If teens are not aware of sexual health the media can have a huge influence on them. But if they watch unprofessional programmes they might end up with false or inaccurate information and unrealistic expectations.
Some of my friends at other schools used to have discussions about sexual health with guest speakers. Debating the subject is a very good way to give students the correct information. Unfortunately my school never offered this. Gaby Curmi
It plays a huge role as most children are exposed to sex through media much before it is even mentioned in the classroom. It seems students in mixed private schools were exposed to a wider amount of information on sexual health not restricted to a single gender. And in such schools it is not considered as much of a taboo topic as in an all-girl Church school. Becky Brincat
The media has a big role. Although it can sometimes be misleading, it is a very effective means of acquiring information related to sexual health.
I was very lucky to receive thorough and high standard sex education compared to peers who attended other schools. Matthew Manfre
How can sex health education in schools be improved?
The first thing teachers must teach students is that sex is a natural thing, and no one should be shy or ashamed to speak about it. In this way, students will feel at ease to learn about sexual health. This will undoubtedly help them become more responsible about future decisions in life. It is important to get professionals to speak to students such as gynaecologists with different experiences and doctors who specialise in sexually-transmitted diseases. Gaby Curmi
Age-appropriate sexual health education should be introduced at an earlier stage in a child’s education, and then it should be reintroduced as the children mature. Becky Brincat
Sexual health education is mainly in the hands of PSD teachers. So it is important that they are given proper training on how to handle the subject. Also, students’ sexual health education should be as complete as possible, and a more open attitude towards sex should be adopted. Matthew Manfre
Interviews conducted by Insite – the Student Media Organisation.