Peer-Education as an Alternative when Sexuality Education in Texas Fails: Designing a Unique Peer-Education Curriculum For San Marcos
Date
2013-05
Authors
Finneran, Molly
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Abstract
Sexuality education in America as we know it today can be divided into three categories, Abstinence-Only, Abstinence-Plus and Comprehensive Programs. In Texas 94% of school districts implement Abstinence-Only sexuality education. However, Texas also has the third highest rate of teen pregnancies and ranks number one in repeat teen pregnancies in the nation. Locally, in San Marcos, Texas teen parenting rates have been slowly declining but this school year 92 students have become parents or are pregnant. One approach that is effective at spreading information and changing attitudes towards sexual health is the peer-educator method. Peer-education teaches and empowers teen so they can educate their friends and family about a topic. Therefore, as a supplement to current family and school-based instruction, this thesis also provides an outline of a possible peer-educator sexuality education curriculum that would offer fact-based information about sexual health, a platform for students to develop their communication skills and encourage participants to start a dialogue about how society views sex.
Description
Keywords
sexuality education, Texas, curriculum, teen pregnancy, STI, San Marcos, peer-education, Honors College
Citation
Finneran, M. (2013). Peer-education as an alternative when sexuality education in Texas fails: Designing a unique peer-education curriculum for San Marcos (Unpublished thesis). Texas State University-San Marcos, San Marcos, Texas.