Kiwis Want More Than Birds & Bees In Sex Ed

Immediate release 13 October 2009

Kiwis Want More Than Birds & Bees Discussions In Sex Ed

Information on abortions, AIDS/HIV, emotional side of sex wanted Almost half of Kiwis don’t learn about STIs and contraception Knowledge is certainly King: greater understanding= enjoyable sex

New Zealanders are proving themselves wanting more when it comes to sex education in this country.

According to the latest Durex Sexual Wellbeing survey released today, sex education in New Zealand is dominated by ‘facts of life’ topics such as puberty, pregnancy and menstruation. However most New Zealanders (63 percent) stated 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 percent of Kiwis wishing this topic had been covered in sex education, and more than a third of Kiwis wished they had been taught more about HIV/AIDS (37 percent). Half of Kiwis wished relationships had been covered.

In addition 43% of those surveyed who had sex education at school say they didn’t learn about contraception and a similar number (44%) weren’t taught about sexually transmitted infections (STIs). This is higher in the older age groups.

David Rae, Durex NZ Manager says that while some of the findings were expected, there were a few results that were surprising.

“Anecdotally you would assume that puberty and other ‘facts of life’ topics are covered in sex education classes predominantly. 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,” says Mr Rae.

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. Kiwis aren’t alone in this wish either – 66 percent of Australians, and 54 percent of Americans felt the same way.”

There are certainly merits for widening the scope of sex education as the survey has proven that receiving sufficient information on sex increases sexual wellbeing.

Up to 70% of Kiwis who feel they’ve received sufficient information to enjoy their sex lives “to the full” are content with their overall sexual wellbeing.

The call for a greater focus on the sensitive side of sex comes from both women and men and also spans the age groups. Some 45% of those aged 16-24 say they would like to have had more information in this area - as do 68% of the 35-44 year olds.

Worryingly, 41% of all New Zealanders don’t believe there is enough advice available –particularly those in the 16-24 age group, where 58% are left wanting more.

Despite the explosion in teenage media and the internet, school sex education is still cited as a major source of information for 60% of New Zealanders who received it – a higher proportion than any other source. However, almost as many credit friends (53%) for teaching them what they know, while 49% cite their partner.

‘Knowledge and Education’ is the fourth in a series of reports generated by the Durex Sexual Wellbeing Global Survey. Previous reports have focused on ‘Satisfaction’, ‘In the Bedroom’ and ‘The Big O’ – which can all be found on www.durex.com.

ENDS

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