Offering Sexual Health Fairs to Supplement Existing Sex Education Programs: An Evaluation of Adolescent Students' Knowledge Needs

• Published in: Alberta journal of educational research Vol. 46; no. 4; pp. 356 - 371
• Main Authors: Wood, Eileen, Senn, Charlene Y., Desmarais, Serge, Verberg, Norine
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Edmonton, AB University of Alberta 01.12.2000; University of Alberta, Faculty of Education
• Subjects: Adolescents; Affective education, sexual education; Children; Communication; Communication Skills; Contraception; Curriculum subjects: programmes and methods; Daily Living Skills; Dating (Social); Disease; Education; Educational sciences; Ethics; Foreign Countries; Health Education; Health Fairs; High School Students; HIV; Human immunodeficiency virus; Interpersonal Competence; Ontario; Program Evaluation; Secondary Education; Secondary level; Self concept; Sex Education; Sexuality; Teaching methods; Youth; Canada; Ontario Canada; Survey; Teaching curriculum; Prevention program; Health Education; Secondary Education; Sexuality
• ISSN: 0002-4805; 1923-1857
• DOI: 10.55016/ojs/ajer.v46i4.54831

A health fair called Choices Not Chances has been designed by the public health nurses in a southern Ontario city to increase the knowledge of young high school students about sexual health and healthy relationships. Our purpose in designing this study in cooperation with the public health nurses ivas to assess the existing level of knowledge among grades 9 and 10 students to determine if the content presented through this fair was appropriate for these students. Forty-five grades 9-10 students completed one survey during class time in their sex-segregated physical education class. Our findings show that although students had basic knowledge about STDs, anatomy, and pregnancy prevention, their knowledge of healthy communication and behavior in relationships was much less developed, which may put students at risk of becoming involved in unsafe sex and abusive relationships. Overall, the health fair appears to provide a valuable supplement for sex education.