Making sex education relevant in a rapidly changing world

Sex education traditionally has been seen as the remedy for negative sexual health outcomes among youth rather than preparation for life as a sexual being. Moreover, the focus, timing, and content of sex education has produced heated debate among adults—manifesting itself as a proxy-war for the diverse religious and cultural viewpoints in our society regarding appropriate sexual attitudes and behaviors. The aim of this study was to go beyond the fray and better define the core needs of youth with respect to sexuality and determine how best to support youth in meeting these needs. Methods: Three focus groups were conducted in the spring of 2009 in the West, Midwest, and East. Leaders in programs deemed "exceptional" by colleagues were screened for eligibility and recruited for participation. All the programs dealt with sexual issues and most utilized teens as leaders and advocates. Participant ideologies were diverse. Results: Qualitative content analysis of focus group data indicated that understanding of core sexual needs of youth is often diminished by other pressing youth needs and that envisioning different content and delivery systems to meet core needs is difficult. Within all groups, there was an overwhelming commitment to youths' sexual health. However, a similar commitment to youths' sexuality was not apparent. Conclusion: Sex education focused specifically on that which is personally and immediately relevant and useful for youth will require greater understanding of sexuality on the part of adults and enhanced interest in preparing youth for life-long sexual fulfillment.