Expand sex ed to all grades: report

Tue Jun 2, 3:23 PM

Teens are being sexually active but are not getting the information or services they need to be properly educated about sex, according to a report on sexual health released Tuesday.

Planned Parenthood Toronto, York University, the University of Toronto, Wilfrid Laurier University and Toronto Public Health produced the survey.

In one of the largest studies of its kind, 1,216 Toronto teens aged 13 to 18 of different racial backgrounds and sexual orientation were interviewed about their sexual experiences by other teens between December 2006 and August 2007.

Interviewer David Anokye said teens want to hear about more than HIV/AIDS, pregnancy and birth control, which are covered in Ontario's sex ed curriculum.

"A lot of people talk about more the scare tactics and not much the pleasure part of it," Anoyke said. "I mean, we know people are being sexually active, and we know people are out there doing these things, but no one's really teaching us about it."

Overall, 37 per cent of teens in the survey said they were sexually active, but some didn't know how to define "sex."

"Very surprising to us was that many kids were unsure about whether they had had sex or not," said one of the study's authors, Sarah Flicker, a professor of environmental studies at York University. "And even among those who were unsure, some reported that they had engaged in oral sex, anal sex or vaginal sex."

The report recommends age-appropriate sexual education for all grades, starting in kindergarten.

Right now, students in Ontario schools receive sex education in Grade 7 and Grade 9. Among those surveyed, eight per cent said they had not had any sex ed at all.

Both young women and men said they were most likely to seek information from friends but would prefer to get it from professional sources such as doctors, nurses and teachers, according to the report.

Of those surveyed, 83 per cent said they had never accessed sexual heath care from a doctor or a clinic, many because of concerns over confidentiality and fear of being judged.

"The information and services that work for a 14-year-old Asian lesbian are not going to be the same as what works for an 18-year-old straight African male who is a newcomer to Canada," said Flicker.

One of report's 70 recommendations included tailoring sexual health programs to a diverse youth population and ensuring that staff at clinics reflects that diversity.