KNOWLEDGE AND PRACTICE OF SEX EDUCATION AMONG MOTHERS IN AWGU LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

Background to the Study

Sex education can be best described as character education. It consists of instruction to develop understanding of the physical, emotional, social economic and psychological phases of human relations as they are aected by male and female relationship (Asha 1967). Sexeducation also the study about human sexual anatomy, sexual reproduction, sexual intercourse and other aspects of sexual behaviour (Wiki Pedia 20012). However, sex education includes more than anatomical and reproductive information, sex education is viewed as a life long process of enquiring information and forming attitudes, beliefs and values about identify, relationships, and intimacy (SIECUS 1993). It implies that man’s sexuality is integrated into his total life development as a healthy entity and as a source of creative energy. Infact, sex education is a term used to describe human sexuality which means that it emphasizes education about all aspects of sexuality and sex orientation, sexual pleasure, values, decision-making, communication, dating, relationships, sexually transmitted diseases (STDS) and how to avoid them and birth, control methods.

From the definitions above, it is understood that most mothers in Awgu L.G.A have no knowledge about sex education and the practice is very poor at family level because mothers in Awgu L.G will continue to give birth to up to thirteen children and yet will still continue to deliver more. Moreover, the high rate of teenage pregnancy and numerous cases of early Vesico Vaginal Festula (V.V.F) as a result of early marriage/child birth and even cases of STDs is an evidence to prove that the mothers lack the knowledge and practice of sex education in AWGU L.G.A of Enugu State.

In Nigeria today, emphasis is more on the desirability of four family members that is, small family size. But in most villages of AWGU L.G.A, the mothers continue to give birth to up to thirteen children and above. Because of this, there is high rate of maternal mortality, teenage pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases and V.V.F in the area. However, in order to put a stop to these problems, sex education should be given to the mothers and children at the family level so that the mothers can make it a point of duty to give their children the right education on sex related issues before it could be introduced or mentioned to them outside or else where. (Oluremi 2002). The mothers have failed to play their role in that, most children get the first information about sex from their peer groups and of course wrongly because of lack of knowledge and practice of sex education among mothers in AWGU L.G.A of Enugu State. This goes a long way to ruin the lives of some children because the relationship of these children to their mothers is very poor as far as sex education is concerned. Consequently such children abuse sexuality and ruin their lives for ever and some may have their reproductive organs destroyed through illegal abortion; some may contact sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and HIV/AIDS some may run into unprepared early marriage, some will fall victim of Vesico Vaginal fistula (V.V.F) or even die all in the name of ignorance and these are the reasons why good percentage of unwanted pregnancies illegal abortions, high mortality rates of our teenage girls abound in AWGU L.G.A of Enugu State.

Even with our women, they also fall victim to all these problems due to lack of knowledge of the vital facts like not knowing how well to plan their families or involving them selves in extra-marital sex. What about the high incidence of sexually transmitted diseases and HIV/AIDS that is nearly giving us the idea of no future for the young generations? All these are due to lack of adequate information or knowledge or lack of proper education about one’s sexuality (Oluremi 2002). The relationship of children to their mothers play a vital role here. There is communication gap between children and their mothers or caregiver in sex education Many mothers in Awgu L.G.A of Enugu State don’t mention this at all to their children and never to raise the issue up again. If mothers don’t care about their children’s future, their lives will be ruined. Other finding has revealed that the more mothers talk to their children about sex, the less they stand the risk of experiencing teenage pregnancy as well as sexually transmitted diseases STDS/HIV/AIDS. It is important to remember that teaching young ones about sex, it helps to protect them from nsi nwanyi and against ime Mkpuke’ in Awgu language.