ATTITUDES OF HIGH SCHOOL LEARNERS TOWARDS SEXUALITY EDUCATION IN ZULULAND. By NONHLAHLA PATIENCE MYEZA

With the constant rise of HIV/AIDS and pregnancies amongst teenagers in South Africa, it is important for research to investigate and evaluate attitudes held by teenagers towards their sexuality education. This research study examined teenagers attitudes towards sexuality education with a questionnaire, eliciting both quantitative and qualitative data, which was administered in two schools, one urban and one rural, to 200 participants whose ages ranged from 12to 20 years. The findings indicated that learners held generally positive attitudes towards sexuality education, with female and urban learners holding significantly more positive attitudes than male and rural learners respectively. Learners indicated that the sexuality programme provide valuable information especially with regard to their own bodies and self-respect. They were of the opinion that teenage pregnancy and HIV /AIDS could be prevented through abstinence, condom and contraceptive use, parental involvement, stopping grants for teenage pregnancy, promoting virginity, masturbation the use of sex toys, Finally they thought that sexuality education could be improved parents and teachers telling the truth, through the teaching of values and morals and by making the subject more practical, prominent in churches. Discussion is concerned with findings and recommendations which are of special relevance in the South African context.