University students have designed a mobile app – so embarrassed young men can get sex education in the privacy of their own homes.
The students at Salford University created a series of videos, specifically for mobile phones and iPods, after discovering men were reluctant to go to sexual health clinics because they were too shy.
The app was shortlisted for a top award and is now being used by sexual outreach workers across Manchester. The clips include several showing how different contraceptives work, and what happens during a visit to a sex health clinic.
Prof Ben Light, who supervised the project, said: “Brook Manchester, the sexual advice charity, were basically finding that they could get girls and young women though the door but were having problems engaging young men.
“These clips are aimed at young guys and are fundamentally about trying to improve awareness of the need to maintain sexual health.” Prof Light said sexual health advisors had told the students that some of the protocols they had to follow caused particular embarrassment.
He said: “These advisors aren’t able to give condoms without making sure that people know how to use them.
“So they would have to do a physical demonstration on the street using a big red item – sometimes holding an umbrella – which could be awkward and embarrassing for everybody.”
Prof Bright added: “We’re hoping that young people will start sharing the videos and therefore spread the word about sexual education to their peers.”
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Will the so-called "sex education" include the facts that Britain has the highest rate of teenage sexually-diseases in Europe and also the highest rate of teenage conceptions and abortions? Will this "sex education" tell the students which sexual practices are deemed so bad by all the medical authorities that those who indulge in these practices are not allowed to donate blood? There is more to " sex education" than rubber and chemicals. For too long in this country "sex education" has been dominated by the line of "anything is all right if you use a condom." Professor Ben Light, by the way, is not a medical man: he is the Professor of Digital Media at the School of Media , Music and Performance, University of Salford.
kudos. Although why men this day and age should be embarrassed is beyond me
Hi Ben Light here. Yep, I am a Chair in Digital Media, but an article can say only so much. The project is working alongside Brook (specialists in the area) and Dr Paula Ormandy in our School of Nursing and Midwifery. Moreover, I have worked as a Health Promotion worker myself on the front line in the past.
Also, in no way does the discourse go 'anything is alright if you use a condom' I have worked with several in the area who do excellent work, including Brook and they would always talk about 'safer sex' NOT safe sex. This is just a snippet of the work being done by organisations such as Brook, who provide a fully rounded and health approach to sex and sex education. Where would we be without organisations such as this?
@reason2 - I know what you mean. Unfortunately, for some people it's still a tricky subject, especially if you are having a condom demonstrator waved in your face in a public park or at a football ground :O)
Seeing Sex education going to be aimed at 5 year olds and above. Surely being embarrassed will be the least of a young adult problem if baby sister or brother questions his sexual activity as part of a school project.
This is a fascinating development which deserves serious consideration. I'd be very interested to hear how it's being evaluated and the extent to which effective behaviour change approaches, such as social norms, are being used.
The UK does have a poor record of sexual health but this is steadily improving. Comprehensive Sex and Relationships education (SRE), which encourages the development of pro-social and pro-health values, develops skills and improves knowledge should be an entitlement of all young people. There is strong evidence to demonstrate that comprehensive SRE enables young people to postpone early sexual activity, mange inter-personal relationships more successfully and improves sexual and emotional health.
Conversely, there is no evidence to suggest that sex education encourages experimentation or promiscuity.