Sex Education and Comprehensive Health Education in the Future of Educational Professionals

Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2023 Feb 13;20(4):3296. doi: 10.3390/ijerph20043296.

Abstract

This work shows an approach to comprehensive sexual education as an anthropological key to promoting health in the self-realisation of future education professionals. Comprehensive sexual education and health form a system. To carry out this study, we have analysed the opinion that students of the Faculty of Education Sciences of the University of Granada (Spain) have about the comprehensive sexual education received and the importance of this training in their professional practice. For this purpose, we used a quantitative and exploratory research design, using a questionnaire as an instrument for collecting information with a sample of 293 students. The results show that students have received poor sex education, along with the belief that education professionals do not receive proper and organised training in sex education. We can conclude that the majority of respondents consider sex education to be a recognised right, highlighting the importance of education professionals receiving proper training in sex education at university, where content related to respect, education for equality, and sexual health is prioritised. Sexuality constitutes the fundamental anthropological structure: comprehensive sexual education is a source of personal (corporal, psychic, spiritual) and social health, hence the importance of educating in comprehensive sexuality.

Keywords: Spain; comprehensive sexual education; health; university; young people.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Attitude
  • Humans
  • Sex Education*
  • Sexual Behavior*
  • Sexuality
  • Universities

Grants and funding

This research was funded by project entitled “Investigación en Educación Sexual Integral” (INV-IGU166-2021), funded by the Precompetitive Research Projects programme of the Plan Propio 2021, University of Granada, Spain.