Importance of Sex Education from the Adolescents’ Perspective: A Study in Indonesia

Abstract

This study aims to explore the adolescents' perspective on sex education as a policy basis of determining whether or not sex education is of importance for adolescents. To date, the concept of sex education is still considered taboo in the community and therefore rarely gets concerned at both home and school. This particularly has an impact on finding less-accurate information among adolescents that leads them into free and risky sexual behaviors. The subjects in this study were 165 adolescents aged 12-19 years. The results of the study show that sex education is of utmost importance from the adolescents' perspective. The material contents of sex education according to respondents' perspective include (1) how to avoid sex and promiscuity; (2) the knowledge improvement on proper sex education; (3) the impacts of free-sex, including sexually transmitted diseases and teenage pregnancy; (4) self-protection (e.g. from free-sex and sexual harassments). This proves the necessity for both parents and teachers to provide adolescents with sex education.