The perspective of high school students and counselors on teaching sexual issues and examining their convergence

Teaching sexual issues to students is one of the topics that requires discussion and examination due to cultural sensitivities. Therefore, the aim of this study is to examine the attitudes of students and counselors towards the necessity and content of sexual education.

This research constitutes a qualitative investigation employing a phenomenological approach. The sampling process was guided by the objectives of study and continued until data saturation was reached. The samples included 15 female students and 9 female counselors from high schools in Qaemshahr city, Iran. Data collection was carried out through semi-structured interviews, and the Morse content analysis method was utilized for data analysis.

Throughout the study, six primary themes emerged, each encompassing both shared and unique sub-themes. The main themes included: 1) The imperative of delivering sexual education, 2) The sexual education requirements of young women, 3) Challenges in providing and receiving sexual education at home and school, 4) Appropriate sources of sexual information, 5) The suitable age for initiating sexual education, and 6) The pedagogical approach to addressing sexual matters.

The findings of this study indicate that both students and counselors assert that offering sexual education in a timely and appropriate manner can mitigate numerous potential harms and contribute to the well-being of adolescents. Taking into consideration the essential educational themes as perceived by students and counselors facilitates more effective planning in this domain.