Sex Education: Ancient Israel and Igbo Traditional Practices

Every human (male and female) is a sexual being. Exploring and experiencing one’s sexuality is part of being human. Unfortunately, human’s curiosity and interest concerning sexuality are not always guided and nurtured in a wholesome way because sex is viewed as sacred and talking about it constitutes a taboo. Hence, many parents are at ease to teach their children about virtually every other thing in life, but they usually do not, however, teach about sexuality with similar ease. As a result, many grow into adulthood with partial and distorted views of human sexuality. The aim of the study was to discover the teachings of Proverbs 7:24-27 on sex education along traditional practices in tone with sex education in Igbo culture and determine the place of proper sex education for better dealing and understanding of human sexuality. The study adopted African inculturation hermeneutics which makes African social cultural context the subject of interpretation. The study revealed that sex education was integral to the training of the young adults in ancient Israel Igbo cultures. However, the study observed some areas of strength and weaknesses of sexuality training in Igbo traditional practices. Thus, the research upheld that the instructions on human sexuality preserved in the book of Proverbs are very relevant in strengthening the contemporary Igbo culture and her traditional practices in the training of young adults in the areas of chastity. Therefore, the paper called for proper sex education in the Igbo society to instill sexual purity among youths of contemporary Igbo society.

Addressing the Healthcare Needs of African Men who have Sex with Men: Barriers to Healthcare and Promoting HIV and STI Treatment in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Barriers to healthcare for men who have sex with men (MSM) in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) are rooted in stigma and discrimination against MSM fuelled by the criminalization of homosexuality. These barriers are influenced by factors involving MSM and the healthcare workers (HCWs). MSM are uncomfortable disclosing their identities and conceal symptoms of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), especially those in areas associated with homosexual behaviour to avoid stigmatization. MSM experience ill-treatment and abuse by HCWs and have concerns regarding HCWs maintaining confidentiality and privacy. This forces MSM to seek care from pharmacies/drugstores or resort to self-treatment, which may not be effective. This, coupled with increased HIV- and STI-risk behaviours resulting from depression and internalized homophobia, result in further spread of STIs. Further, barriers in HIV testing lead to exclusion of MSM from treatment cascades. Insufficient sexuality training of HCWs leads to discrimination or denial of treatment for MSM, particularly in government-run clinics. The criminalization of homosexuality deters HCWs from offering treatment to MSM. The prevailing discriminatory environment that accompanies the criminalization of homosexuality forces HCWs to don the role of moral and legal enforcers, making them the perpetrators of forced anal examinations that continue to be prevalent in SSA. Nevertheless, there is evidence to show HCWs in SSA recognize their lack of training in sexuality and have welcomed educational opportunities to better understand the healthcare needs of MSM. Pilot educational interventions for HCWs in SSA have been received enthusiastically, and have resulted in significant changes in HCW knowledge and attitudes and dealing with MSMs with STIs. This work reviews existing literature on barriers to STI-related healthcare for MSM in SSA. By drawing parallels to barriers that were overcome in the HIV epidemic in the 1980s, suitable solutions focusing on HCW education are suggested.

Pelatihan “Sex? It Isn’t Taboo Anymore” untuk Meningkatkan Pengetahuan dan Asertivitas Seksual Remaja

This study aims to determine the effect of sexuality training to increasing the knowledge of sexuality and sexual assertiveness behavior in adolescents. This study used preexperimental design, with one group pretest posttest design, where only one group will be given treatment. The research sample was selected using total sampling method. The subjects of this study were 12 members of Posyandu Puskesmas X aged 11-20 years. Sexuality knowledge was measured using an instrument prepared by researchers, while Sexual Assertiveness Scale (SAS) was used to measure sexual assertiveness. The intervention consists of eight sessions of sexuality training for two days. Data was analyzed using wilcoxon signed rank test. The results show that sexuality training is effective to increasing knowledge and sexual assertiveness, and it is expected to be able to prevent teenagers from engaging in premarital sexual behavior.

Rehabilitation Counselor Knowledge, Comfort, Approach, and Attitude Toward Sex and Disability

This study examined the effect of rehabilitation counseling students’ age, sex, disability status, geographic location, marital status, religion, sexual orientation, and level of sexuality training on knowledge, comfort, approach, and attitudes toward the sexuality of people with disabilities. Participants were 312 rehabilitation counseling master’s students in Council on Rehabilitation Education (CORE) accredited programs all over the United States. Multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) analyses demonstrated that Knowledge scores were affected by intensity of training. Other subscale scores indicated that rehabilitation counseling students had generally negative attitudes toward sex and disability and low levels of comfort with approaches from clients. Results demonstrate the importance of rehabilitation counselor educators incorporating the topic of sex and disability in training programs so that graduating students have the knowledge and comfort necessary to discus sex with their clients with disabilities.