The effectiveness of sex education among adolescents in P.C.E.A Ngecha Parish in Limuru Sub-county, Kiambu County

Abstract

Sex education among the adolescents has been researched on several churches in Kenya and in many other countries. However, little has been done on the effectiveness of sex education among the adolescents of P.C.E.A Ngecha parish in Limuru sub county,Kiambu county.P.C.E.A Ngecha has three congregation which have eight departments which has sex education programmes for the adolescents. The researcher sought to establish whether sex education was effective and how effective would be to the adolescents .In this era where adolescents have continued engaging in risky sexual behaviour and the media giving and showing erotic information. In this study the researcher has established that Christian adolescents are facing challenges of identifying themselves sexually and are in need of guidamnce and counselling to issues of sexuality. The study established that they are many forums and strategies where sex education can be effectively offered to the adolescents in the church . The study is significant due to the fact that sex education has many controversies in the church and the state and yet the adolescents have continued wrestling with sexual issues and no solution has been offered .It has been established that adolescent are able to reason critically on the many challenges they go through and they are in a position to assist on how sex education would be effective to them in their lives and to counter attack the wrong information given to them and the pressure from the world at large.The researcher employed descriptive literature review and theoretical framework .The study is guided by two theories of adolescent human developmental transition from childhood to adulthood by Freud (1935) and Erick Erickson(1963). The researcher has identified that there are gaps in research pertaining to lack of effective sex education to the adolescents offered to the adolescents .This thought has been occasioned by the fact that little has been written and no set curriculums have been agreed upon to teach sex education either by the church and the ministry of education.The study adopts a descriptive survey design .The research site is P.C.E.A, Ngecha Parish. Data was collected using questionnaires, focus group discussion and interview schedules. The study confirmed that Church elders, boys and girls brigade teachers and youth leaders are not well equipped to teach sex education to the adolescents .Those finding provide information to the church administration and members of the church that in order for them to offer effective sex education to the adolescents there is a need to train and equip sex educators in the church. The study also found out that abstinence is highly emphasized whereas sex education encompass many other topics .The study revealed that discussion, question /answer ,debate and use of teaching materials are the best methods to use while teaching sex education. The study also revealed that little time is allocated and that adolescents tend to hide information that pertains to their sexuality and prefer sharing it with their peers. The study recommends that the church to allocate more time and quality time to the programmes, this should be in the forums of retreat, seminars,rite of passage programmes ,catechism classes and in clubs .Church leaders and members of the church should not shy off while addressing sexuality and should be good role models .The church needs to nurture good communication skills between the adolescents and the parents to allow free discussions .