Knowledge and Attitude of Comprehensive Sexuality Education Among Adolescents in Senior Secondary Schools in Plateau State, Nigeria

Abstract

Introduction: Comprehensive sexuality education is a curriculum-based process of teaching and learning about the cognitive, emotional, physical and social aspects of sexuality. It aims to equip children and young people with knowledge, skills, attitudes and values that will empower them to: realize their health, well-being and dignity; develop respectful social and sexual relationships; consider how their choices affect their own well-being and that of others; and, understand and ensure the protection of their rights throughout their lives. [UNESCO et al. 2018] Some problems associated with lack of adequate knowledge on CSE include: Teenage pregnancy, Unsafe abortion and its related mortality, Sexually transmitted diseases, School desertion and eventually, Poverty perpetuation.

Aim: To ascertain the knowledge and attitude of comprehensive sexuality education among senior secondary school adolescents in Plateau state, Nigeria.

Methodology: This was a cross-sectional descriptive study involving 460 senior secondary school adolescents from 5 selected secondary schools in Jos North and Jos South LGA’s, Plateau State. Data was collected using a researcher-designed handwritten questionnaire administered to participants and analysis was done using IBM SPSS 20 and Microsoft Excel.

Results: The respondents of this study had a good knowledge (99.0%) and attitude (98.5%) towards comprehensive sexuality education with the sources of information for new questions concerning comprehensive sexuality education being Parents (60.9%), Friends (9.6%), Teachers (8.5%), Internet (5.7%) with 15.4% admitting to not having any sources to ask questions. There was statistical significance between who the participants live with and their knowledge (p=0.041) and attitude (p=0.000) towards comprehensive sexuality education.

Conclusion and Recommendation: Overall, it was determined that the respondents’ knowledge and attitude was good. But there are still certain aspects that need to be improved. Therefore, it is necessary to maintain and enhance parental understanding of comprehensive sexuality education and to enhance its implementation. Teachers, parents, community and religious leaders and health workers all have a role in passing suitable instruction on topics relating to sexuality that would bolster the foundation of adolescents.