ERIC Number: EJ1153115
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2017
Pages: 15
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1468-1811
EISSN: N/A
How Gay and Bisexual Men Compensate for the Lack of Meaningful Sex Education in a Socially Conservative State
Currin, Joseph M.; Hubach, Randolph D.; Durham, André R.; Kavanaugh, Katherine E.; Vineyard, Zachary; Croff, Julie M.
Sex Education: Sexuality, Society and Learning, v17 n6 p667-681 2017
The information shared in schools on sex education in the USA is highly variable depending on the state and sometimes city in which a student lives. Gay and bisexual students living in a socially conservative, primarily rural state such as Oklahoma often receive little information about sexual health information that pertains to their behaviours unless it is discussing the dangers of sex. Using a qualitative approach, 20 gay and bisexual men currently residing in Oklahoma completed semi-structured interviews about their experiences with sex education and alternate ways to compensate for lack of information provided. Participants noted an awareness of the lack of meaningful sex education or if it was offered, a primary focus on abstinence-only until marriage heteronormative curricula. Participants described various ways they compensated for lack of sex education including accessing pornography and information from the internet. With the current socio-political environment of Oklahoma, it is unlikely wholesale changes to the sex education curricula can be made. The importance of public health professionals using the internet and peer educators to deliver inclusive and informative sexual health information remains salient and viable for men who reside in socio-politically conservative areas like Oklahoma.
Descriptors: Social Attitudes, Homosexuality, Semi Structured Interviews, Males, Sex Education, Pornography, Rural Areas, Information Sources, Internet, Public Health, Peer Teaching, Health Education, Sexuality, Political Attitudes, Social Bias, Prevention, Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS), Sexually Transmitted Diseases
Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 530 Walnut Street Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Tel: 215-625-8900; Fax: 215-207-0050; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Oklahoma
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A