Sources for Sex Life Conceptualisation among Russian Adolescents

Getting high-quality comprehensive sexuality education is an urgent task of the 21st century. This is vital due to a variety of reasons, including: large numbers of HIV-infected people, high rates of teenage pregnancies and abortions, widespread pornography, increasing media content devoted to sex, as well as gender changes in modern societies. Comprehensive sexual education can be implemented through formal (i.e. school) and informal (i.e. parents, media) sources. The purpose of my research is to define what sources of sexuality education are used by adolescents, considering the absence of official sexual education in Russia. Study was performed by conducting a survey among Russian adolescent (aged from 13 to 18 years old). Data on the attitude of modern teenagers towards sexual education in schools; their experience of talking with parents about sex; and what sources they use as sources of sexual education was obtained and examined. This thesis includes the analysis of legislative acts of the Russian Federation, and international normative and advisory documents related to sexual education in Russia, the analysis of survey results, and sources of sexuality self-education that teenagers use.