The researchers also identified differences between how men and women learn about sex and relationships. The two studies, published in BMJ Open, utilized data from the third National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles (Natsal-3) - the largest scientific study of its kind in the UK.
"The terrain young people have to navigate as they are growing up has changed considerably over the past 20 years and it will inevitably continue to do so," says study author Dr. Clare Tanton. "This means that while we need a more structured approach towards sex and relationships education, we must also be able to adapt to these changing needs."
In one of the two studies, data from Natsal-3 for 3,869 participants, conducted between 2010 and 2012, was compared with data from surveys conducted in 1990-1991 and 1999-2001, in order to assess how sources of information about sex may have changed over time.
The second study set out to examine variation in the sources of information about sex by sociodemographic factors for 3,408 participants of Natsal-3 and to see if there were any associations between these and sexual behaviors and outcomes. All participants involved in the studies were between 16 and 24 years of age.
The researchers found that, when growing up, the main source of information about sexual matters is now the school. In 1990, 28% of the participants reported that it was their main source of information, but this proportion rose by 2012 to 40%.
Many differences were observed between males and females for other information sources. Males were more likely to receive most of their information from their first sexual partner (12% of males vs. 5% of females), while females more frequently reported that their mothers were their primary source of information (4% of males vs. 14% of females).
Overall, parents were the main source of information for only 7% of males and 14% of females. Even fewer received the bulk of their information from health professionals (1% of men and 3% of women).
'A broader framing of sex education in schools is required'
In contrast, around half of the participants of both genders reported obtaining the bulk of their information from "other sources" - sources deemed to be less authoritative, such as siblings, media, the Internet and pornography.
These findings conflict with what the young people participating in the study wanted, however. "When asked for their preferred source of additional information, young people most commonly reported school, followed by parents, and health professionals," study author Wendy Macdowall states.
The authors acknowledge that a consequence of assessing the one main source of information regarding sex is that "the nuances of learning about sexual matters from multiple sources are lost."
Participants who mainly learned about sex and relationships through school reported experiencing sexual intercourse for the first time at a later date than participants who obtained most of their information from "other sources." In addition, they were less likely to report unsafe sex or sexually transmitted infection (STI).
Receiving information through school was also associated among females with being less likely to feel distressed about sex or to experience sex against their will. This association was not observed among males, however.
The researchers also found that the information the participants had received was not the type of information that they wanted to have received. Around 70% of participants in the study reported feeling they "ought to have known more" when they first felt ready for sex.
In particular, they reported wanting more information on "sexual feelings, emotions and relationships," in addition to STIs. Females also reported wishing they'd known more about forms of contraception.
"Our results suggest we need a broader framing of sex education in schools that addresses the needs of both young men and women, with a move away from the traditional female-focused 'periods, pills and pregnancy' approach," says Macdowall.
"The fact that many young people told us they wanted to get more information from a parent shows that parents also have an important role to play," concludes Dr. Tanton. "There needs to be a combined approach which also supports parents to help them take an active role in teaching their children about sex and wider relationship issues."
A study published earlier this year demonstrated the risks of obtaining information through "other sources" - teens were found to be influenced by misconceptions of their peers, often overestimating how much sex they were having.
Written by James McIntosh
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