Introduction - Many global organizations, including the WHO, declare the importance of emotional and sexual education for young people in schools and communities in order to ensure them a good sexual and reproductive health. Throughout Europe there is the need to make sex education a compulsory subject in both primary and secondary school, with minimum standards and educational objectives defined and shared, as in Germany, France, Netherlands and Sweden. In Italy, although the importance of emotional and sexual education is recognized, there has been no attempt to make this type of education compulsory in the schools, where education courses on these subjects are offered on a voluntary basis of individual schools and / or at the complete discretion of the teachers. Purposes The aim of this study is to verify knowledge that students have about sexuality after different school programs led them to participate in a course of emotional and sexual education either held by midwives, psychologists or not to participate to any course at all. Secondly, this study wants to understand whether courses led by different professionals deliver different contents and / or treat different topics. Methods 250 boys and girls from the 7th and 8th grade middle school classes of three different schools in the city of Milan and Melegnano (MI) have been involved in the research. The students of the first school have attended classes held by two practicing midwives of the University of Milan. In the second school the course was conducted by psychologists, while in the third school there had been no course at all of emotional and sexual education during the academic year in 2013/2014. The data were collected during the months of May and June 2014 by administrating an anonymous multiple choice questionnaire.Results All the students agree that it is necessary to speak of emotional and sexual education in school, since they believe that sexual education makes young people more aware and confident of their choices. However different sexual knowledge and attitudes among students of the three schools emerged. The students of the first school are much better prepared in anatomy and physiology of the male and female genital apparatus, in the use of contraception, pregnancy and abortion. The students of the first school also have scientific knowledge on sexuality, while students of the second and third school have vague and partly untrue beliefs about it. Conclusions It therefore appears that midwives can absolutely be considered the key figure in the field of emotional and sexual education. In fact midwives have the knowledge, qualities and skills that this delicate type of educational role requires. Midwives are health professionals and during meetings of emotional and sexual education in schools they promote sexual and reproductive health of adolescents giving them the tools to live a satisfying and aware sex life.

EDUCAZIONE ALL’AFFETTIVITÀ E ALLA SESSUALITÀ: analisi delle conoscenze dei ragazzi delle scuole medie e ruolo educativo dell’ostetrica / A. Araldi, P.A. Mauri, D. Bertoli. - [s.l] : Università degli Studi di Milano, 2014 Nov.

EDUCAZIONE ALL’AFFETTIVITÀ E ALLA SESSUALITÀ: analisi delle conoscenze dei ragazzi delle scuole medie e ruolo educativo dell’ostetrica

P.A. Mauri
Penultimo
;
2014

Abstract

Introduction - Many global organizations, including the WHO, declare the importance of emotional and sexual education for young people in schools and communities in order to ensure them a good sexual and reproductive health. Throughout Europe there is the need to make sex education a compulsory subject in both primary and secondary school, with minimum standards and educational objectives defined and shared, as in Germany, France, Netherlands and Sweden. In Italy, although the importance of emotional and sexual education is recognized, there has been no attempt to make this type of education compulsory in the schools, where education courses on these subjects are offered on a voluntary basis of individual schools and / or at the complete discretion of the teachers. Purposes The aim of this study is to verify knowledge that students have about sexuality after different school programs led them to participate in a course of emotional and sexual education either held by midwives, psychologists or not to participate to any course at all. Secondly, this study wants to understand whether courses led by different professionals deliver different contents and / or treat different topics. Methods 250 boys and girls from the 7th and 8th grade middle school classes of three different schools in the city of Milan and Melegnano (MI) have been involved in the research. The students of the first school have attended classes held by two practicing midwives of the University of Milan. In the second school the course was conducted by psychologists, while in the third school there had been no course at all of emotional and sexual education during the academic year in 2013/2014. The data were collected during the months of May and June 2014 by administrating an anonymous multiple choice questionnaire.Results All the students agree that it is necessary to speak of emotional and sexual education in school, since they believe that sexual education makes young people more aware and confident of their choices. However different sexual knowledge and attitudes among students of the three schools emerged. The students of the first school are much better prepared in anatomy and physiology of the male and female genital apparatus, in the use of contraception, pregnancy and abortion. The students of the first school also have scientific knowledge on sexuality, while students of the second and third school have vague and partly untrue beliefs about it. Conclusions It therefore appears that midwives can absolutely be considered the key figure in the field of emotional and sexual education. In fact midwives have the knowledge, qualities and skills that this delicate type of educational role requires. Midwives are health professionals and during meetings of emotional and sexual education in schools they promote sexual and reproductive health of adolescents giving them the tools to live a satisfying and aware sex life.
nov-2014
Midwifery; sexual education
Settore MED/47 - Scienze Infermieristiche Ostetrico-Ginecologiche
Working Paper
EDUCAZIONE ALL’AFFETTIVITÀ E ALLA SESSUALITÀ: analisi delle conoscenze dei ragazzi delle scuole medie e ruolo educativo dell’ostetrica / A. Araldi, P.A. Mauri, D. Bertoli. - [s.l] : Università degli Studi di Milano, 2014 Nov.
File in questo prodotto:
Non ci sono file associati a questo prodotto.
Pubblicazioni consigliate

I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.

Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/2434/263436
Citazioni
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.pmc??? ND
  • Scopus ND
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.isi??? ND
social impact