CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

Background of Study

       The period of adolescence occupies a unique stage in every person's life. It is a period of transition from childhood to adulthood (Adegoke, 2003). Adolescence has been described as a stage among human beings where a lot of physiological as well as anatomical changes take place resulting in reproductive maturity in the adolescent (Kirby, 1999). Many adolescents manage this transformation successfully while others experience major stress and find themselves engaging in behaviours (e.g. sexual experimentation, exploration and promiscuity etc.) that place their well-being at risk (Adegoke, 2003). This is because traditionally, adolescents were not given any information on sexual matters, with discussion of these issues being considered taboo. Such instruction as was given was traditionally left to a child's parents, and often this was put off until just before a child's marriage.

       Most of the information on sexual matters was obtained informally from friends and the media, and much of this information was of doubtful value. Much of such information was usually known to be deficient, especially during the period following puberty when curiosity of sexual matters was the most acute. This deficiency became increasingly evident, by the increasing incidence of teenage pregnancies, especially in Western countries after the 1960s. As part of each country's efforts to reduce such pregnancies, programs of sex education were instituted, initially Sex education is a process whereby information is given or imparted to a group of young ones and which takes into account the development, growth, the anatomy and physiology of the human reproductive system and changes that occur from youth all through stages of adulthood (Maduakonam, 2001).

       Sex education is the acquisition of knowledge that deals with human sexuality. It consists of instruction on the development of an understanding of the physical, mental, emotional, social, economic and psychological phases of human relations as they are affected by sex. In other words, sex education involves providing children with knowledge and concept that will enable them make informed and responsible decisions about sexual behaviours at all stages of their lives. The aims of sex education, according to British Medical Association Foundation for AIDS, are ambitious relating to the lifelong quality of relationships and personal behaviour. It should be age appropriate and available to everyone through a variety of forms and informal settings. Since adolescents' characteristics predispose them to high risky sexual activities, behavioural interventions are needed to reduce their at risk sexual behaviours. The present study is an attempt in this direction.

Though norms and values are bound to change in a dynamic society like ours, but in recent times we have witnessed a dramatic change in sexual morality of Nigerians. Every now and then we listen to news about incident of; rape, sexual harassment in public places, incident dressing, sexually transmitted diseases and HIV pandemic, teenage pregnancy and abortion, abandoned babies, child trafficking, late marriage syndrome. All these happen as a result of deteriorated sexual morals of the majority of people in our society especially among the youth. It is becoming or has become a way of life in Nigeria.

Education is the builder of any god or bad society. This study is designed to help find and understand the relationship between sex education and sexual behaviour of a secondary school adolescent student. A lot of sexual immorality in our society today would have been avoided or at least minimized if parents and teachers have given their children/student the essentials of sex education. When adolescent is left at the mercy of his peers, a lot of things happen which may dramatically affect their sexual lives. This is because he/she in company of his peer group would seek sexual information from various sources such as cinema, video films, night parties and searching through the internet for obscene literature and pornographic pictures.

In Nigeria today, sex education is yet to be incorporated into the curricula of secondary school education (Esu, 1999). Many Nigerians are reluctant to discuss sexuality and sexual health openly. In most African countries, Nigeria in particular, matters relating to sex and sexuality are usually shrouded in secrecy. Neither the adolescent boy nor girl has free access to the information he or she needs on sexuality. Questions bordering on sexuality and girl-boy relationships are usually hushed up and regarded as taboo (Esere2006). The consequence of this action is that Nigerian adolescent boys and girls find answers to sex-related questions on their own, often from questionable sources that are likely to give them wrong information (Abogunrin, 2003), making them more likely to indulge in reckless and unguarded sexual experimentation. Some adolescents lack adequate communication and assertiveness skills to negotiate safer sex. Some feel unable to refuse unwanted sex or feel compelled to exchange sex for money (Nwabuisi, 2004),because young people experiment sexually and because of the consequences of indiscriminate sexual activities on the youth, there is the need to mount sex education programmes that are geared towards enlightenment and appropriate education about sex and sexuality (Ayoade, 2006).

Thisis a transitional stage of physicaland psychologicalhuman developmentthat generally occurs during the period from pubertyto legaladulthood(age of majority). The period of adolescence is most closely associated with the teenage years.

This is an instruction on issues relating tohuman sexuality, includinghuman sexual anatomy,sexual reproduction,sexual activity,reproductive health, emotional relations,reproductive rightsand responsibilities,sexual abstinence, andbirth control.

This is any activity solitary, between two persons, or in a group that induces sexual arousal. There are two major determinants ofhumansexual behaviour: the inherited sexual response patterns that have evolved as a means of ensuring reproduction and that are a part of each individual’s genetic inheritance, and the degree of restraint or other types of influence exerted on the individual by societyin the expression of hissexuality.

Statement of Problem

In Nigeria, problems associated with adolescents' sexual health include high rates of teenage pregnancy; a rising incidence of sexually transmitted diseases (Nwabuisi, 2004), high rates of abortion mortality, etc. Medical problems associated with adolescents' sexual behaviour are a major health burden to Nigerians. Problems are not confined to pregnancy but include secondary infertility and development of cervical abnormalities in adolescents. Early sexual activity has negative consequences for young people. Adolescents who become sexually active enter an arena of high-risk behaviour that leads to physical and emotional damage (Esere, 2006). Each year, influenced by a combination of a youthful assumption of invincibility, and a lack of guidance (or misguidance and misleading information), millions of adolescents ignore those risks and suffer the consequences. Hence, the relevance of sex education in our educational setting is the justification of the study.

Research Questions

1. To what extent does poor sex education result in premarital sex among secondary school adolescent?
2. Does poor sex education lead to unwanted pregnancy amongst secondary school adolescent?
3. Does poor sex education lead to homosexuality amongst secondary school adolescent?

Research Hypotheses

1. There is no significant difference between sex education and sex among secondary school students.
2. There is no significant difference between sex education and unwanted pregnancy among secondary school students.
3. There is no significant difference between sex education and homosexuality amongst secondary school students.

Purpose of Study

       This study is designed to find out the relationship between sex education and sexual behaviour of a secondary school adolescent with the view to help parents/teachers have something that is better or preferable and something that will improve the existing moral decadence as well as help the adolescent understand and handle effectively problems arising during the period of his/her sexual development.

Significance of the Study

       The significance of this research is to enable parents/teachers understand the place of sex education in the sexual behaviour and development of their adolescent child. Also, the outcome of the findings from the study will help:

1. Parents teach their children better
2. Teachers will use the knowledge to properly guide their students
3. Government will improve curriculum for sex education

Scope of the Study

       This work focuses on understanding the relationship that exist with sex education and sexual behaviour on a secondary school adolescent. This study is conducted in seven secondary schools at Ethiope East Local Government Area of Delta State.

Limitation

       This study is specifically limited to the secondary schools in Ethiope East Local Government Area of Delta State. It could not cover a wider area because of time factor, financial constraints and effort to ease transportation.

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