MEXICAN ADOLESCENT SEXUALITY - ATTITUDES, KNOWLEDGE, AND SOURCES OF INFORMATION

This study examined the attitudes, knowledge, and sources of information of 81 Mexican adolescents. Findings indicated that 85% of the adolescents had received some sex education in school, but only 8% believed that teachers should be responsible for sex education. The majority were satisfied with what they knew about sex. However on a series of 9 knowledge questions, the greatest mean score was 5.5. Finally, information elicited regarding attitudes was generally conservative, with most respondents indicating that people (especially females) should be married before they have sex and that sex without love is not okay. This article contributes to the limited literature on Mexican adolescent sexuality in an effort to increase the ability of health education providers to plan programs for this population, both in Mexico and in the United States.