Exposure in Sex Education through Mass and Personal Media among Secondary School Students in Bangkok, Thailand

Abstract

This descriptive research aims to study the exposure of sex education through mass media and personal media and to study factors which related to the exposure of sex education among the secondary school students in Bangkok, Thailand. Ample of 425 students was taken and data were collected by self-administered questionnaires which consisted of4 dimensions of sex education; human developments, sexual relationship, sexual behaviors, and sexual health. The statistics used were mean, standard deviation (SD), percentage, frequency and chi-square. The results revealed that the average age of participated students was 13 ± 1.01 years; 49.2% were male and 50.8% were female. Students had different exposures to sex education from various types of media, of which the primary sources chosen were the Internet, mother, father, friends and teachers, respectively. Most males preferred to acquire their sex education from mass media, e.g. the internet, while most females preferred to receive it from personal media. The gender and educational level were associated and statistically significant to the exposure of sex education on the issues of physical change, contraception, condom use, and pregnancy, respectively. Both sexes tend to obtain sex education of sex education from same sex people more than the other. The student’s exposure to sex education which related to social values and norms were found to concealed or covered up, not open for discussion and learning, especially among youth and single people. Raising awareness of sexual equality and rights is necessary in order to open the public discourse on sexuality. Broadly disseminating sex education is a basic and critical component of this process.