Cape Town talks about sex workers

On Monday 25 September,, as- part of the One City Festival, the Black Arts Collective hosted a debate about sex work. Natasha from SWEAT spoke about the why the government should decriminalize sex work. Khadija Magardie, a journalist from the Mail and Guardian newspaper, sent a speech talking about how sex work should be abolished by changing the law to make the clients criminals, so they can be arrested for buying sex from sex workers. Members of the public came to the debate, and talked about their feelings about sex work, and asked questions and gave comments. Generally most people were supportive of the fact that sex workers deserve human rights, even if they didn’t like the idea that people sell sex for a living. The city is starting to talk about sex work and sex workers, which is very exciting. It is a chance for SWEAT to talk about the realities of the industry, and to break down some of the stereotypes that many members of the public have about sex workers and sex work. One element that is missing from these discussions is the voices of sex workers themselves. SWEAT points out that it is very difficult for sex workers to talk publicly because of the stigmatization they suffer, and because sex work is still illegal. If you are interested in talking to the public about your experiences and opinions, please contact SWEAT and let us know, so that next time there is a chance to speak to the public we can invite you along

Cape Town talks about sex workers

On Monday 25 September,, as- part of the One City Festival, the Black Arts Collective hosted a debate about sex work. Natasha from SWEAT spoke about the why the government should decriminalize sex work. Khadija Magardie, a journalist from the Mail and Guardian newspaper, sent a speech talking about how sex work should be abolished by changing the law to make the clients criminals, so they can be arrested for buying sex from sex workers. Members of the public came to the debate, and talked about their feelings about sex work, and asked questions and gave comments. Generally most people were supportive of the fact that sex workers deserve human rights, even if they didn’t like the idea that people sell sex for a living. The city is starting to talk about sex work and sex workers, which is very exciting. It is a chance for SWEAT to talk about the realities of the industry, and to break down some of the stereotypes that many members of the public have about sex workers and sex work. One element that is missing from these discussions is the voices of sex workers themselves. SWEAT points out that it is very difficult for sex workers to talk publicly because of the stigmatization they suffer, and because sex work is still illegal. If you are interested in talking to the public about your experiences and opinions, please contact SWEAT and let us know, so that next time there is a chance to speak to the public we can invite you along

Sex Education: The Effectiveness of Comprehensive-Based Compared to the Effectiveness of Abstinence-Only

Sex education has the potential to be a powerful way to educate children and adolescents about the risks and implications of sex. There currently is a debate about what type of information should be appropriately delivered to students in school; supporters of Comprehensive-Based sex education argue that information regarding Sexually Transmitted Diseases and contraceptives should be delivered to students, while supporters of Abstinence-Only sex education hold that the only method of safe sex that should be taught to students is abstinence. There are an alarming number of children and adolescents dealing with the consequences of unprotected sex, so sex education programs that reduce this number most effectively should be delivered to students in schools. It was hypothesized that children and adolescents who received Comprehensive-Based sex education would be more knowledgeable about safe sex, and practice safe sex more often in their lives. A quantitative study was distributed to 45 college-aged students to learn what type of sex education they received in school, and assess their safe sex knowledge and practices. The results supported the hypothesis that students who received Comprehensive-Based sex education knew more about safe sex practices and were able to put them into practice more often, but the results were not statistically significant. More extensive research should be conducted to a larger group of students who had just received their sex education in school in order to assess what type of sex education should be administered in schools

Defining sex and virginity loss

This study has examined definitions of sex and virginity loss and the influence of gender, religiosity, middle school sex education, and the importance of virginity on those definitions. The study also tests the applicability of social exchange theory to explain how undergraduates define sex and virginity loss. Vaginal intercourse was most often considered to be sex and virginity loss, followed by anal sex and oral sex. The results indicate that women tend to consider more behaviors to be sex and virginity loss than men. Religion and middle school sex education were minimally important. Both viewing virginity as a gift and the importance of maintaining virginity until marriage were related to definitions of sex and virginity loss. Results indicate that the application of social exchange theory in predicting classification of behaviors as sex and virginity loss were mixed. With oral sex receiving the most variation as to whether or not it is sex and virginity loss and being an activity in which young people frequently participate, sex education programs should provide greater attention to oral sex and the associated health risks.Department of SociologyThesis (M.A.

Sex Education: The Parent's Perspective

Presents summary findings from the first in-depth statewide poll of California parents on school-based comprehensive sex education

DEFENDING ALL-MALE EDUCATION: A NEW CULTURAL MOMENT FOR A RENEWED DEBATE

Although all-female schools still prosper and are defended by members of the academic elite, an all-male college has become a near-extinct species. Many people are surprised such a creature still exists. All-male colleges strike many as vestiges of male privilege. They evoke the traditional bastions of power that precluded women from advancing in public life. Single-sex education is not for everyone, but if our educational system is to be truly pluralistic, such an education should be an option. Single-sex education for both genders can be a constructive way to address problems plaguing not only education but the culture as a whole. Educators are now more willing to reevaluate all-male education. While research on single-sex education focuses on women, its conclusions often show significant gains for both genders. Indeed, those who experience an all-male education are usually eager to talk of its empowering effect. In our society, sex is used and exploited as the primary means of self-expression and ultimate fulfillment. It is possible that the single-sex atmosphere might help put such distorted claims into a better perspective. It is time for a new debate about all-male education

“It falls on all our shoulders”: Overcoming Barriers to Delivering Sex Education in West Texas Schools

BACKGROUND: Many racial, socioeconomic, and geographic disparities exist in rates of teen birth and sexually transmitted infections. Increasing access to comprehensive sex education is one risk reduction strategy for these outcomes, yet access to and quality of sex education in schools often falls far below recommended standards, particularly in Texas. The current exploratory study examines barriers to effectively delivering sex education in West Texas schools and identifies strategies to help overcome these barriers. METHODS: In-depth interviews with school leaders and health education professionals (n=4) were conducted to understand teen sexual health needs in West Texas. Interviews were analyzed using descriptive coding, memoing, and quote matrices to interpret the data. RESULTS: Participants identified a number of policy-, organizational-, and interpersonal-level barriers to delivering sex education in public schools. School personnel experienced intense time pressures, a lack of institutional support, and tension with parents. Many expressed a desire to work more collaboratively with parents and participants acknowledged the important role of school health advisory councils (SHACs). CONCLUSIONS: School personnel face complex challenges at multiple levels when attempting to deliver sex education in public schools. Despite these challenges, SHACs represent a valuable opportunity for communities to work collaboratively to improve sex education in public schools

‘Virginity is a virtue: prevent early sex’: teacher perceptions of sex education in a Ugandan secondary school

Sex education is a politically contentious issue in many countries, and there are numerous, competing ideologies relating to the most appropriate methods to teach young people about sexual and reproductive health. This paper examines policy and practice in Uganda in light of two contrasting ideologies, namely morally conservative and comprehensive rights-based approaches to sex education. After a brief description of these approaches, findings from a preliminary qualitative study among teachers working in a non-governmental organisation-run secondary school in Uganda are discussed. Teachers’ responses are analysed against the background of current Ugandan sex education policies. The paper considers the implications of the conservative morality informing both Ugandan government policy and teachers’ implementation of sex education at the focus school. It is argued that, in the light of young Ugandans’ attitudes towards and often varied experiences of sexuality, a comprehensive rights-based approach to sex education may be more appropriate in the described setting

The Impact of Abstinence-Only Sex Education Programs in the United States on Adolescent Sexual Outcomes

Though there are many evaluations of abstinence-only sex education programs in the United States, there is a relatively small body of literature exploring the programs’ impact specifically on adolescent sexual behavior. Thus, the purpose of this literature review is to examine the impact of abstinence-only sex education programs on adolescent sexual outcomes. The phrase “sexual outcomes” refers to attitudes, behaviors, and experiences of adolescents as a result of their sex education. After an overview of sex education in the United States, I discuss three major themes found in the most recent literature: abstinence and delaying the initiation of sex, consequences of the lack of contraceptive use, and lastly, the perspectives and experiences of LGBTQ+ youth. Overall, abstinence-only sex education programs are found to have no beneficial or harmful impact on rates of abstinence, STDs, and unintended pregnancies. Additionally, strong evidence suggests that abstinence-only programs adversely impact LGBTQ+ youth, largely due to the lack of relevant information and the heteronormative framing. I conclude with a brief discussion of how these findings relate back to the current policy debate, as well as suggestions for future research