Sex education should touch on emotions, survey suggests

Photo / Jason Dorday

Most New Zealanders would have liked to learn more about the emotional side of sex during their sex education, says a survey by condom maker Durex.

Sex education in New Zealand was dominated by "facts of life" topics such as puberty, pregnancy and menstruation, according to the latest Durex Sexual Wellbeing survey, released today.

However, 63 per cent of New Zealanders surveyed said they wished their sex education had covered the emotional side of sex as well.

Also featuring high on the wish-list was abortion, with 39 per cent wishing this topic had been covered, and more than a third wished they had been taught more about HIV/Aids (37 per cent).

Half wished relationships had been covered.

Forty-three per cent who had sex education at school said they did not learn about contraception and a similar number (44 per cent) were not taught about sexually transmitted infections (STIs). This was higher in the older age groups.

Durex NZ manager David Rae said that while some of the findings were expected, there were a few that were surprising.

"It is evident from the research Kiwis wished they were better informed about health issues associated with sex, such as HIV/Aids, contraception and STIs. This is of concern given the high incidence of STIs in this country," he said.

At the other end of the spectrum New Zealanders clearly want to know more about the emotional side of sex, aspects including respect and mutual enjoyment for both partners, he said.

Despite the explosion in teenage media and the internet, school sex education was still cited as a major source of information for 60 per cent of New Zealanders who received it - a higher proportion than any other source, the survey found.

- NZPA