High school health education: Filipina American teenage mothers' sex education experiences and recommendation
Abstract (summary)
While President Barack Obama graduated from a prestigious private school in Hawaii, teenagers in the surrounding public school areas average more than 500 live births each year. The rate of unplanned pregnancies is particularly high among Filipina American teenagers. Effective high school health education classes could serve to reduce or even eliminate unplanned pregnancies. This research study addresses three concepts—sex education, Filipino American education and teenage pregnancy, and racial categories. It simultaneously employs a survey research approach with talk story interviews to investigate: (1) the pregnancy perceptions and misconceptions that best describe the way Filipina American teenage mothers believe they become pregnant, and (2) how sex education can understand and best address the experiences that lead to Filipina American teen pregnancy. In order to investigate these research questions, I developed a Logic of Inquiry to guide my analysis. The analysis lead to three main findings: (1) the lack of timeliness of receipt of health education, (2) poor sexual health and responsibility content area delivery, and (3) incorrect pregnancy prevention perceptions by teenagers. I used these findings as steps to derive five exemplary case studies with Filipina American teenage mothers. The Filipina American teenage mothers in this study share their sex education experiences, and recommendations for health education instruction. This study can serve to guide and inform sex education policies and the sexual health and responsibility content area delivery in the classroom.
Indexing (details)
Hispanic American studies;
Secondary school students;
Teenage parents;
Mothers;
Sex education
0737: Hispanic American studies