Class sex lessons a turn-off say teens

Sex education in New Zealand schools is a turn-off to teens, who find it boring and often ignore its safe-sex messages, research has found.

And it needs to be more specific on teaching young people about infection risks and how to "negotiate" the use of condoms with their sexual partners, says one of the researchers, Gillian Abel.

The survey of more than 1100 senior school pupils found half reported being sexually active. Of them, only 45 per cent said they used a condom every time they had sex.

Many did not consider it important to use a condom to prevent sexually transmitted infections (STIs) such as chlamydia, said the study, published in the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health. Preventing pregnancy was of greater concern.

New Zealand has one of the highest teenage pregnancy rates in the world. In 2002, 30 out of every 1000 female teenagers aged between 15 and 19 became pregnant.

Rates of sexually transmitted infections such as gonorrhoea and chlamydia are rising steeply, which prompted the Health Ministry last year to start its teen-targeted condom campaign, No Rubba, No Hubba Hubba.

Chlamydia is symptomless in many cases and can be treated readily with antibiotics. Untreated, it can cause infertility. Condoms protect against it and other STIs.

Ms Abel said sex education varied widely among schools.

"More emphasis needs to be put on young people's skills in negotiating condom use in the sexual act, so they are comfortable in requesting a condom," she said.

In related research, some teens had said they feared appearing "uncool or a dork" if they suggested using a condom.

"It can be seen as not trusting that your partner is clean or what they have said about their previous sexual relationships."

The survey of 17 Christchurch secondary schools also picked up a sense of invulnerability to STIs.

More than 70 per cent rated the risk of young people getting STIs as likely, but this dropped to 23 per cent when asked about their own risk (27 per cent for boys, 18 per cent for girls).

"The kids say they get a lot on the dangers of sex. They don't really enjoy sex-education classes. They say it's boring and they have heard it all before. They just go to sleep. We need ways of making it more relevant."

Dr Gillian Tasker, an author of the health and physical education curriculum, which includes sexuality, said some schools provided very good sexuality education, but quite a number offered very insubstantial programmes.

"Boys' schools are notoriously poor at offering any kind of comprehensive health education in which sexuality education is a part.

"But you can't blame it all on schools. When you see media portrayals of sex, how often do you see people using condoms?"

Dr Tasker, a principal lecturer at the Christchurch College of Education, identified Kaiapoi High School as providing comprehensive sexuality education. It provides 10 hours of compulsory sexuality education in year 9 (form 3) and year 10 and an optional 20 hours in year 12.

The school's head health teacher, Marj Baird, said she tried to have a laugh with her pupils by practising rolling a condom on to a wooden model. "Otherwise it's deadly serious and kids can get a bit intense about it."

Mt Roskill Grammar principal Ken Rapson did not believe there was any need for more specific teaching on infection risks and condom use.

He said the Auckland school, which included students from more than 60 nationalities, provided sex education as part of an overall programme based around relationships and keeping teenagers safe - be it around drugs, alcohol or sex.

"I believe it presents a well-balanced view that informs students appropriately."

Mr Rapson said the school used a variety of approaches to sex education, including a group that did a role play talking about STIs and using condoms. Students had found it "amusing and informative" but some parents believed it was "out of place" and that sex education should remain the role of the family.

Teen sex survey

* Half of 1100 senior students were sexually active.

* Only 45 per cent of those having sex always used a condom.

* 26 per cent of the sexually active said they did not use condoms as they believed they and their partners did not have a sexually transmitted infection.

Sex education

* Schools have flexibility on sex education.

* It is covered by the health and physical education curriculum, which is compulsory to the end of year 10.

* The ministry's core statement on the curriculum is a very general document which does not mention the word "condom".

* Parents can ask for their children to be excluded from sex education.

- additional reporting: Rebecca Walsh