MA IDS Thesis Projects
Title
Teenage Perceptions and Needs Regarding Sexual Education: A Qualitative, Exploratory Study of Adolescents in Quito, Ecuador
Date of Award
1-1-2017
Document Type
Restricted Access Thesis
College
College of Theology, Arts, & Sciences
Department
International Development and Service
Degree Name
International Development and Service, MA
First Supervisor
Paula Politte
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to engage in an exploratory dialogue with adolescents in Quito, the capital city of Ecuador. Increasing fertility rates of adolescents in ages 15 to 19 has become a concern in Ecuador due to the many potential consequences for the individual respectively, their families, and the community at large, and has thus begun to stir a change in the way in which sexual education within the country is approached. However, the country of Ecuador still has one of the highest adolescent fertility rates in South America, alongside a patriarchal and religious culture in which enforces gendered expectations in regards to sexual behavior. Through semi-structured interviews, adolescent participants of this study highlighted their perceptions of the sexual education they received, both through formal and informal means, as well as their perspectives on the areas of sex education that are in need of improvement.