The purpose of this study was to examine the preferences of parents of elementary school aged children regarding when sexual health education topics identified by the National Sexuality Education Standards and the National Health Education Standards should be taught in school. More specifically, a focal point of this scientific inquiry was to determine if parents of elementary school aged children agree with the new National Sexuality Education Standards that are recommended in the K-5th grade level. Other factors that were examined included: benefits and barriers of teaching sexual health in schools as well as who should make the final decision on what sexual health topics are taught in schools. A developed questionnaire was mailed to a random sample of 800 parents who have elementary school aged children (5-12 years old) across the United States. Of those 800, 630 met the requirement of having an elementary aged child. One hundred and fifty three surveys were returned over a 3-wave mailing process, for a response rate of 24% (153/630). Of the parents who responded to the demographic questions, just over half were female (58%), the majority were white (86%), their child attended public school (82%), and lived with both birth parents (78%). A majority (92%) of the parents surveyed believed that age-appropriate sex education should be taught in schools. Of those that responded yes to age appropriate sexuality education, 48% of parents believed sex education should begin being taught in 6-8th grade followed by 42% that believed it should be taught in k-5th grade. The majority (57-90%) of parents were supportive of six of the thirteen content topics being taught in elementary school. Those six topics included: bullying prevention (90%), friendship (86%), healthy relationships (75%), proper names for body parts (64%), different kinds of families (58%), and sexual abuse prevention (57%). The top two barriers to teaching sex education in elementary school cited by the parents was that parents did not want it taught in schools (80%) and that teachers are not at ease teaching it (48%). An ANOVA analysis showed that there was a significant difference based on perceived number of barriers and the type of school their child attended (public, private, home school). Additional ANOVA analyses revealed that there were significant differences between the number of benefits perceived and several demographic variables such as parent gender, political party affiliation, type of school the child attended, and the amount of time the child spent attending faith based services. The results from this study indicated that these parents are in support of sexual health education being implemented in the schools. Assessing parents` thoughts and beliefs may increase the likelihood of providing developmentally appropriate sexual health education in elementary schools.

The purpose of this study is to develop a deeper understanding of parents' perceptions of sexuality education in primary school. The study was guided by the following questions: 1) How do parents understand sexuality education in schools for primary-aged children? 2) What do parents believe children need to learn? 3) What role does the school curriculum have in contributing to healthy sexuality in young children? The data collection involved semi-structured interviews with seven parents whose children were in kindergarten to grade three. Using grounded theory to analyze and code the data, four themes emerged. The first theme, Sexuality Positive Parents, captures the parents' positive attitude towards sexuality in general, sexuality education in schools, and beginning sexuality education with their children at a young age. The second theme, Sexuality Education: A Team Effort, focuses on how parents understood the teacher's relationship and collaboration with students and their families, the challenges that sometimes emerge, and the health curriculum as it relates to sexuality education. The third theme, Parents Norm Diversity, describes how they value gender and sexual diversity as a part of sexuality education in primary grades. The fourth theme, The "Value-Free" Sexuality Educator, identifies the kind of teacher that parents imagine might deliver the perfect sexuality education. The analysis reveals that although the research participants were supportive of sexuality education, they also raised some concerns related to the quality of sexuality instruction in schools. Notably, they had apprehensions about potentially conservative values that may be taught in schools, while at the same time recognizing that sexuality education in schools is challenging for many elementary teachers.

An inclusive and accessible resource on the interdisciplinary study of gender and sexuality Companion to Sexuality Studies explores the significant theories, concepts, themes, events, and debates of the interdisciplinary study of sexuality in a broad range of cultural, social, and political contexts. Bringing together essays by an international team of experts from diverse academic backgrounds, this comprehensive volume provides original insights and fresh perspectives on the history and institutional regulatory processes that socially construct sex and sexuality and examines the movements for social justice that advance sexual citizenship and reproductive rights. Detailed yet accessible chapters explore the intersection of sexuality studies and fields such as science, health, psychology, economics, environmental studies, and social movements over different periods of time and in different social and national contexts. Divided into five parts, the Companion first discusses the theoretical and methodological diversity of sexuality studies.Subsequent chapters address the fields of health, science and psychology, religion, education and the economy. They also include attention to sexuality as constructed in popular culture, as well as global activism, sexual citizenship, policy, and law. An essential overview and an important addition to scholarship in the field, this book: Draws on international, postcolonial, intersectional, and interdisciplinary insights from scholars working on sexuality studies around the world Provides a comprehensive overview of the field of sexuality studies Offers a diverse range of topics, themes, and perspectives from leading authorities Focuses on the study of sexuality from the late nineteenth century to the present Includes an overview of the history and academic institutionalization of sexuality studies The Companion to Sexuality Studies is an indispensable resource for scholars, researchers, instructors, and students in gender, sexuality, and feminist studies, interdisciplinary programs in cultural studies, international studies, and human rights, as well as disciplines such as anthropology, psychology, history, education, human geography, political science, and sociology.

Three decades into the HIV pandemic, the goals remain clear: reduce the number of infections,improve the health outcomes of those who are infected, and eliminate disparities in care. And one observation continues to gain credence: families are a powerful resource in preventing, adapting to, and coping with HIV. Recognizing their complex role as educators, mentors, and caregivers, Family and HIV/AIDS assembles a wealth of findings from successful prevention and intervention strategies and provides models for translating evidence into effective real-world practice. Chapters spotlight the differing roles of mothers and fathers in prevention efforts, clarify the need for family/community collaborations, and examine core issues of culture,ethnicity, gender, and diagnosis (e.g., minority families, adolescents with psychological disorders). Throughout, risk reduction and health promotion are shown as a viable public health strategy A reference with considerable utility across the health, mental health, and related disciplines,Family and HIV/AIDS will be a go-to resource for practitioners working with families, researchers studying at-risk populations, administrators seeking to create new (or evaluate existing)prevention and care programs, and policymakers involved in funding such programs.

This study explores primary school teachers' perceptions and attitudes towards childhood sexuality and the teaching of sexuality education at primary school level.Three focus group discussions were conducted with primary school teachers at three different schools.The findings indicated that teachers believe that all children have a sexuality but they differ as from what age children become sexual. Some teachers reported that they experience difficulties with parents and members of the community when teaching sexuality education at school. Further, teachers' understanding of sexuality is gendered, believing that boys and girls develop and experience their sexuality in different ways. Teachers also indicated that they use the correct names and concepts relating to sexuality when teaching, but during the focus group discussions they experienced difficulty in doing so. Teachers reported a lot of cases of childhood sexual abuse, relating in some teachers viewing sexuality as similar to sex and within the negative framework of abuse. The study concluded with a plea from all the teachers for the effective training and education relating to sexuality that includes parents and the community