Parents' views on their children's sexuality education. Results of the BZgA study on Youth Sexuality

Since 1980, the German Bundeszentrale für gesundheitliche Aufklärung (BZgA; Federal Centre for Health Education) has regularly conducted the representative Youth Sexuality Study. This continuous monitoring provides information on the sexual and reproductive health of young people in Germany, which in turn forms an important basis for evidence-based health communication. This series of studies also includes a survey of parents. In this article, we present the results of this parent survey from the 9th iteration of the Youth Sexuality Study.

Since 1992, the BZgA has been mandated by the Schwangerschaftskonfliktgesetz (SchKG; Pregnancy Conflict Act) to develop concepts for sexuality education and to provide information on obtaining contraception free of charge throughout Germany (Bundeszentrale für gesundheitliche Aufklärung [BZgA], 2016). These sexuality education materials reach the target groups directly or are employed by multipliers as part of sexuality education and sexuality education programmes. The BZgA has a long tradition of conducting and funding large representative studies to evaluate and assess these measures and programmes. An important monitoring instrument in this context is the representative cross-sectional survey on Youth Sexuality, which has been conducted regularly since 1980. The resulting study data can be used to determine the current sexual and contraceptive behaviour of young people as well as the characteristics of sexuality education (Scharmanski & Hessling, 2021b, 2022a).

As the home remains a central pillar in the context of sexuality education for young people (Scharmanski & Hessling, 2021c), and since parental sexuality education is positively associated with safe sexuality for their children (Döring, Walter & Scharmanski, in preparation), the parents’ perspective on their children’s sexuality and contraception is of great importance (see also the article by Kunz & Koschmieder in this issue of FORUM). This article focuses on the results of the parents’ survey, which is part of the study on Youth Sexuality.

Before presenting the main findings of the parents’ survey, it is important to note that, due to the methodology of the Youth Sexuality Study, only the current situation and trend developments from the past 40 years can be descriptively presented. On the basis of the available data, it is only possible to make a limited number of assumptions about possible causes that may have influenced these developments. Further research projects that focus on possible cause-effect relationships are recommended.

For young people, conversations with parents are one of the most important sources of knowledge and advice about sexuality and contraception (Scharmanski & Hessling, 2022a).

In the Youth Sexuality Study parents and adolescents were asked to what extent the topics of sexuality and partnership were discussed in their families. According to the adolescents surveyed, most families talk openly about sexuality and relationships: 70% of the 14- to 17-year-olds without a migrant background express this opinion (Scharmanski & Hessling, 2021c).

A comparison of parents’ and children’s assessments (see Figure 1) shows that the parents rate the openness of communication about sexual and relationship topics in their own family slightly higher than their adolescent children: The ratings show a gap of 5% between girls and their parents and a gap of 6% between boys and their parents.

Although both the parents and the adolescents report a predominantly open atmosphere of communication about sexuality and relationships in the family, parents’ attitudes towards specific sexual acts by minors are different.

The latest data from the parents’ survey clearly show that the proportion of parents who are fundamentally opposed to girls under the age of 18 having sexual contact has increased over the past five years –from 13 % in 2014 to 25 % in 2019 (see Figure 2). This brings the proportion of parents who disapprove of sexual contact between young people under the age of 18 back to where it was almost 30 years ago. There is a similar trend for boys, although at a lower level (2014: 10 % compared to 20 % in 2019).

Most parents of children between the ages of 14 and 17 have already given their daughter or son detailed advice about contraceptive options, and this advice is usually given by the parent of the same sex. Three out of four mothers of girls (75 %) state that they have given their daughters such advice, while the figure is significantly lower for fathers of boys (65 %). Counselling by opposite-sex parents is less common (less than 60 %, respectively).

Although parental contraceptive advice for sons is still lower overall than for daughters (65 % compared to 75 %), there has recently been a recent convergence – apart from 2014 result (see Figure 3).

Parents’ specific contraceptive recommendations are depended mainly on the sex of their children. Almost all parents of boys recommend condoms to their sons (93 %), including 59 % who recommend condoms as the only method of contraception. The pill plays a subordinate role in the advice given to boys: 36 % of parents recommend the pill, while only 4 % of boys’ parents consider the pill to be the only suitable contraceptive.

The opposite is true for girls’ parents, where the pill plays a central role, with 73 % of parents recommending it to their daughters and 32 % recommending it exclusively. However, more girls’ parents (40%) than boys’ parents (32 %) advise their daughters to use the pill in combination with a condom. Overall, 60 % of girls’ parents recommend using a condom, while only 20 % advise the exclusive use of a condom.

It is striking that the specific contraceptive advice given by parents varies according to the (assumed) sexual activity of the children. Girls whose parents believe they know for sure that their daughter is sexually active are more likely to be advised to take the pill (83%) than girls whose parents only assume that their daughter has probably or definitely not yet had a sexual relations (71 %, respectively). This effect is even more pronounced among boys’ parents, albeit at a lower level: Sons whose parents believe they know for sure that they are sexually active are more likely to receive a parental recommendation for the pill (55 %) than boys whose parents only suspect or assume for sure that their son has not yet had a sexual relation (37 % and 32 %, respectively).

In addition, the (copper) IUD plays an even greater role in parental contraceptive advice for girls (10 % of cases). However, (copper) IUDs are very rarely used by daughters: Only 1 % of girls under the age of 18 who have already had sexual intercourse state that they have already had experience with this contraceptive method (Scharmanski & Hessling, 2021b).

Data from the Youth Sexuality Study (Scharmanski & Hessling, 2021b) also show that young women have recently become significantly less likely to use the pill. If we look at the results of the parents’ survey, we see that not only are girls using the pill less often, but their parents are also less likely to recommend the pill as contraception.

Although around seven out of ten girls’ parents (73 %) still advise their daughters to use the pill when speaking about contraception, this proportion has fallen significantly since the last iteration of survey (see Figure 4).

One positive aspect of the longer-term trend is that, compared with 2005, significantly more parents are now recommending the combined use of the pill and condoms.

It is also positive that the majority of parents still recommend safe contraceptive methods: Parallel to the decline in the recommendation of the contraceptive pill, the condom has become much more important as the only contraceptive method recommended by parents between2014 and 2019 – both for girls (by 12 %) and boys (by 9 %).

Almost seven out of ten parents (69 %) state that they themselves or their partner were the main source of sexuality education for their child. Just over three-quarters of these parents report they have had no difficulties (76 %).

However, 24 % state that they did find their child’s sexuality education difficult sometimes. The trend shows that significantly more parents reported difficulties with their children’s sexuality education in 2019 than 5 years ago (see Figure 5).

Another notable finding from the current iteration is that this assessment correlates with the parents’ formal education: Parents with a higher level of education (29 %) are significantly more likely than those with a medium or basic level of education (20 % and 19 %, respectively) to say that they find sexuality education difficult. This difference did not exist in 2014.

Regardless of their children’s sex, fathers are slightly more likely than mothers to say that they found sexuality education of their children difficult (26 % vs. 22 %). 

All parents were asked about a list of sexuality education topics they found difficult (see Figure 6). Overall, most parents find it easy to discuss many sexuality education topics, such as ’the roles of men and women’, ’marriage and other forms of partnership’, ’affection and love’ and ’premarital sexual intercourse’. Only 12 % of mothers and fathers have difficulties with one or more of these topics. Again, there are few differences between the sexes. 

Previous surveys have already shown that parents find one topic in particular is difficult to talk about with their children: sexual practices. Most mothers and fathers find it difficult to talk about this with their children (57 % and 55 %, respectively). At the same time, however, this is the most frequently mentioned topic about which adolescents themselves would like more information (Scharmanski & Hessling, 2022b).

There is another difficult topic for mothers: pornography (40 %). This topic is less of a problem for fathers (35 %) – in fact, this is the only topic where fathers find it significantly easier than mothers to pass on information to their children. The differences between mothers and fathers are particularly large for the topics of homosexuality and pregnancy termination (11% and 9%, respectively) as well as – and this is not surprising – for conversations about menstruation and pregnancy/birth (24 % and 14 %, respectively).

One striking result of the 2019 survey is that the proportion of parents who find certain topics difficult to talk about to their children is generally higher now – in some cases much higher – than it was in 2014 and 2009 (see Figure 6). The frequency with which these topics are mentioned has increased by an average of 9 % for mothers and 14 % for fathers since 2009.

With regard to the possible causes of this development, the available data do not allow us to draw any direct causal links. However, the following correlation must be considered when assessing the increase in parental difficulties with sexuality education: Adolescents are entering into an active sexual life at an increasingly later age (Scharmanski & Hessling, 2021b). At the same time, parents who are certain that their child is already sexually active report comparatively fewer difficulties with sexuality education (12 % rather not sure vs. 27 % definitely not sure). This means that as the proportion of young people who are not yet sexually active has increased, so too has the proportion of parents who find it difficult to discuss certain topics.

When parents advise their children on contraception, they mainly rely on their own experience (93 %). Mothers in particular often consult other sources of information to prepare the discussion, e.g., by asking friends (21%) or doctors (19 %). Fathers are less likely to do this (16 % and 4%, respectively).

As the previous section emphasized, parents find certain topics more difficult to discuss with their children. Nevertheless, only 21 % of mothers and 24% of fathers actively seek further information (see Figure 7). The general openness to receive additional information is related to the parents’ educational level: Parents with basic education level are particularly likely to state that they do not feel the need for further information (31 %). This figure is lower for parents with medium or higher qualifications (24 % and 19 %, respectively). Younger parents are also slightly more open than older parents (rejection of further information by parents up to the age of 49: 21 %; by the generation over 50: 28 %).

However, most parents are by no means completely opposed to gathering additional information. The internet is the main source of information on sexuality education for parents – adolescents also report the same (Scharmanski & Hessling, 2021a).

Interestingly, the growing importance of the internet has not led to a significant decline in the number of books used for sexuality education over the last 15 years. In fact, between 2014 and 2019, in particular, the importance of specialist books has actually increased (among mothers 6 % and among fathers 7 %), making them parents’ most important support medium for sexuality education after the internet.

Moreover, the educational correlation mentioned above is also applies to the use of the two most important information media: the internet and books. Parents with a higher formal education state that they use online sources and specialist books more often than do those parents with lower qualifications (differences between 11 % and 16 %). This is particularly true for fathers in the case of free brochures (11 % difference according to educational level); for mothers, the educational correlation is less pronounced (5 %).

This article provides an overview of the key data from the parent survey of the 9th iteration of the Youth Sexuality Study. The main findings can be summarised as follows:

• Most families (without a migrant background) talk openly about sexuality, relationship and contraception.
   
• However, it is striking that, in 2019, more parents expressed reservations about an active sexual life for minors than in previous decades.
   
• Regarding parental contraceptive advice, it is noticeable that the recommendation to use the pill is declining in parallel with the actual use among young people. Parents are more likely to recommend the use of condoms or the combined use of the pill and condoms.
   
• Parents are one of the main sources of sexuality education for young people. However, there has been a significant increase in the proportion of parents who say they find sexuality education difficult.

Because of its methodological design, the Youth Sexuality Study can highlight developments and provide an up-to-date database. However, there is limited information on possible causes that might explain these developments. Other study designs and methodological approaches would be needed to explore the explanatory relationships in more depth.

Nevertheless, it is crucial to continue to support parents in providing sexuality education and contraceptive advice to their children, and to provide evidence-based and evaluated materials and counselling services – both online and offline. Only in this way can parents help to strengthen the sexual and reproductive health of the younger generation and enable their children to enjoy a safe and healthy sexuality.