Sex education, parental sex education, positive sex education

Maternal nursing, family nursing

Sex education for children is about to undergo a major transformation. In the 1990s, the need for sex education was advocated and spread due to the increase in sexually transmitted diseases and induced abortions, and sex education in schools today is gradually taught from around the fourth grade based on the curriculum guidelines. However, due to the influence of so-called brake regulations, it is no exaggeration to say that Japan's sex education is lagging behind that of other countries. However, in the real world, children must deal with the diversification of various health issues and problems, and they must also protect the safety of their own lives. For this reason, comprehensive sex education for children is beginning to be carried out at a practical level. However, a survey on effective sex education methods for parents of young children by public health nurses (Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, 2021) revealed that although a certain number of parents raising young children believe that they should convey knowledge about sex to their children, only 25.6% of parents have had the experience of having a conversation with their children when they were asked questions about sex, and this shows that they are not actually talking to them. As mentioned above, sex education should not be taught in stages from school age, but should be taught on a daily basis from infancy.
Based on the above, this study will investigate the needs for sexuality education for parents of infants and young children, develop an effective educational program, and evaluate it in stages. The results of this study will serve as basic research on the ideal method of sexuality education for infants and families.

There is little research on sexuality education for infants and young children that parents provide at home. In addition, there is almost no research that specifically clarifies the needs of parents in implementing sexuality education content that is appropriate for their child's gender and development.

This research aims to achieve social implementation by conducting a step-by-step process from investigating the sexuality education needs of parents of infants and young children to developing an effective educational program and then evaluating it.

This research responds to social needs and issues within the current trend of comprehensive sexuality education, and I believe it is significant.
Establishing sex education from early childhood will enable children to understand things like their body, life, sexual behavior, and sexual diversity as things that concern them personally, which will lead to preconception in the future.
In addition, parents being able to confidently provide sex education as part of their role as parents may also have an impact on parent-child relationships and the children's mental health.

―

―

1. Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare (2021), "Report on a research project on effective sex education methods for public health nurses and other parents of young children"
2. Morimoto, Masuyo et al. (2019), Maehara, Hiromi, Sato, Mayuko. Trends in research on sex education provided by parents at home in Japan: Evidence level of nursing-related literature. Journal of the Japanese Society for Nursing Research, 42(2), p.231-240.
3. Yaeko Kataoka et al. (2008), Effects of sexual health classes on infants, pregnant mothers and families: Changes in the feelings of mothers who participated in the classes and the reactions of their families. Journal of the Japanese Society of Midwifery, 22(2) p.158-169.

―