Sexual Health Education in Saskatchewan High Schools
Abstract
This research study aims to examine 1st year university students’ experiences with the sexual health education they received in their high school in Saskatchewan, Canada. Trends currently show that the incidence of sexually transmitted infections is on the rise and the Saskatchewan rates in particular are among the highest in Canada for Chlamydia and Gonorrhea (with the highest reported rates in 15–25 year-olds). Additionally, according to Stats Canada, teenage pregnancy rates in Saskatchewan are higher than the national average, reporting that teenage pregnancy rates are highest in the North and Prairie Provinces (which includes Saskatchewan).Using the online survey tool SurveyMonkey, 51 students in a 1st year University Kinesiology and Health study class completed a questionnaire with 45 multiple choice questions and 2 open-ended questions assessing if certain sexual health topics were addressed in their classes. Participants were asked to rate the level of importance of these items to their sexual health on a Likert scale. The results of the study will be discussed and used to develop a large-scale research study for high school students in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada.