Adolescent sexuality and problems of sex education in Ukraine

Abstract

The article dwells on analysing the main trends characterizing the sexual life of modern teenagers using the example of Ukrainian high school students. The authors present an overview of scientific approaches to the study of sexual life, in particular, sociological studies of the sexual behaviour of young people in the West and modern Ukraine. The paper draws attention to some of the consequences of the “sexual revolution” regarding the impact on sexual health (HIV/AIDS; sexually transmitted diseases; teenage abortions, sexual violence, etc.). The analysis of features inherent in the modern sexual behaviour of adolescents (frequency of sexual contacts; the number of sexual partners; age and gender characteristics of sexual behaviour of respondents) is based on the results of three representative sociological studies among schoolchildren in Kharkiv and Kharkiv region (1999 and 2013) and four regions of Ukraine (2021). Sociologists of V.N. Karazin Kharkiv National University and the Sociological Association of Ukraine carried out these studies. Such characteristics of social behaviour as “age of sexual debut” and the dynamics of changes of this indicator were analyzed based on the data of Ukrainian and Western sociologists. Some negative consequences of early sexual life are described (sexual development disorders, mental disorders, sexually transmitted diseases, unwanted teenage pregnancies, teenage prostitution, etc.). Attention is paid to issues of systematic sexual education and sexual enlightenment of adolescents to preserve reproductive and sexual health. The authors analyze the role of parents, the educational process in school, and sexual education programs in the formation of safe sexual behaviour skills and a responsible attitude of adolescents to their health and the health of loved ones.