Conocimientos y actitudes de la sexualidad en profesores de la Provincia de Chañaral

Abstract

A group of 144 elementary and secondary school teachers, working in Chañaral and Diego de AImagro, in the north of the country is studied attending their k now ledge on sexual subjects. The research goals were attitudes in front of the students, current wrong beliefs and information sources for sexual education. The 144 teachers represent 80% of the total universe in the two towns and 59% of them are men. Most of them (70,1%) have between 20 and 35 years of age, 27,7% between 36 and 50 years with the remanent 4,2% with 50 year and over. Subject age range 24 to 51. A survey to get data on general, anatomic, physiological and psychological concepts in addition to contraceptive methods was applied. Around 25% of the questions in all the subjects rested unanswered, mounting to 43,7 % for libido definition. More than 50% failed to define sexuality, puberty and adolescence. The addition of wrong answers to abstention meant 80% in all the subjects except f 0 r orgasm in which a 58% gave a right answer. It is remarquable than the female reproductive system is much better known than the male one (62,9% vs. 37,1%) while the male external genital organs are better described than the female ones. 0n physiological subjects there was 33% of wrong answers and 67% of no answer at all. The psycho – sexual development chapter shows a 98% of no answer and 2% of right answers. In spite of that masturbation was considered a normal fact by 98 % of teachers, 50 % of them estimated that it leads to weakness and 33 % even to impotence. Faced to masturbation and pregnancy in students, near 50% of the teachers think it should be punished.