Year: 2011
Module: Sexual Health
Variable: PREFER (list of comments)

Below are the responses to the open-ended question:

' How would you have preferred to get more information about sexual matters?'

Note: Responses were only edited for grammatical reasons, if necessary. Square brackets indicate where editing occurred.

A list of these comments grouped into categories is also available.

1. A bit more from my parents
2. A bit more information at school. However, I feel, information currently given is fine.
3. A formalized lesson in school.
4. A leaflet given to a year/years at school with facts and information.
5. A sibling
6. A simple layout, easy to use website.
7. A speaker coming into school to address a group.
8. Adverts
9. As I did
10. At lessons in school where everyone is equal and learning together
11. At School
12. Books
13. By the T.V. it's less awkward.
14. By TV Classes at School
15. Confidential talks with a doctor
16. Discretely
17. Do not care.
18. Do not know
19. Doctor
20. Doctor, nurse or clinic
21. Doctors is appropriate
22. Doesn't bother me at all
23. Don't know
24. Don't know.
25. Don't really care usually more time out of class
26. Don't know
27. Don't know.
28. Don't really care
29. Family
30. Father
31. Fine as it is
32. Frankly told - no silly social taboo
33. Friends
34. Friends / internet.
35. From a doctor, so it's strictly an informative and more serious discussion.
36. From a mature friend
37. From easy to access and reliable information on the internet.
38. From family members.
39. From friends.
40. From internet or books
41. From it being an actual topic in school everyone can benefit from it. Instead it is just glanced over.
42. From Mother
43. From my family mainly father, but to difficult/embarrassing
44. From my friends
45. From my friends or girlfriend
46. From my girlfriend if I had one
47. From my parents
48. From my parents, teachers, friends or doctor.
49. From parents
50. From professionals
51. From school
52. From school, there aren't many lessons spent on this topic in our school.
53. Get two groups, one boys the other girls, have a responsible adult talk to each group and tell them what they need to know, then take anomas [anonymous] questions in the end in case pupils have questions.
54. Go on to the internet or watch a TV programme.
55. Got it directly from a person
56. Happy enough the way I got it
57. Happy with the way I got it
58. Have it educated in school.
59. Haven't really thought about it
60. Having friends to talk too was the best.
61. Hear it from friends
62. Hearing all the views from your brother, Professional people in this area and the media.
63. Honestly I prefer to have been happy with what I learned
64. I am happy with the information supplied
65. I am happy with the way I learned
66. I am quite happy where I get information and I think talks in school are the best options
67. I am satisfied with how I have learned.
68. I believe school is the best way
69. I can get most of the information from my parents but I think school should teach you more about relationships rather than just the mechanics of sex because pretty much everyone already knows that. It would probably be awkward with the school teacher so m
70. I don't I don't care
71. I don't mind the way I got told about sexual health is the way I prefer.
72. I don't think I would've preferred any other way.
73. I don't care
74. I don't know
75. I don't know haven't really thought about it.
76. I feel I found out the right way.
77. I feel I have that been informed from the source I would have liked.
78. I feel school and TV are the easiest ways of finding out information about sexual matters.
79. I feel that it matters very little as to where the information comes from as long as it is valid and useful.
80. I feel that many of the TV shows relating to sexual health are very comprehensive and a suitable means to gain information.
81. I got alot of information
82. I got most of the information from my parents and I feel this was very effective
83. I had all the information I needed as my mother had told me all information, then my school touched on it, so I am happy with the way I found out my information
84. I like the way I got information about sexual matters.
85. I only received basic information in my final year of primary school and after that I received no information in my current school.
86. I think schools need to do a lot more because we only learnt a bit in 5th year and most people in my class had already had sex and didn't use contraception.
87. I think we should be taught about it in school as a class as people my age experiment which can lead to a few unwanted things
88. I was happy enough
89. I was happy enough with my mother.
90. I was happy with the information I received from school
91. I was most comfortable with the method I chose
92. I was perfectly happy with the way I got information on sexual matters.
93. I would have preferred to get this information from church and school only this is reliable information.
94. I would have preferred if we had members of the health agencies who came to our school to give us information and get us talking about it to make talking about it feel more natural
95. I would have preferred this information to come from my parents, we aren't necessarily close due to sexual orientation. But I'm aware there are people worse off I would have preferred to find out about sexual matters on the internet
96. I would have preferred to have a website with correct information (and including ALL information) on 'sexual matters'. I sometimes feel I don't know enough.
97. I would have preferred to have been given more lessons in school to do with sexual education.
98. I would have preferred to have some type of leaflet, or 'guide'. For myself, in school there was no talks, or education about gay sexual matters.
99. I would love to be able to talk to my mum about sexual matters, but she is unaware of my sexuality and we talk about lots and have so much in common, it's a shame
100. I would not have changed the means I received the information.
101. I would prefer if the lessons we did have in school were grace us more information.
102. I would prefer to get more information through magazines and the internet which I could have use for myself.
103. I wouldn't have preferred any other ways
104. I wouldn't
105. I wouldn't have preferred to get information on sexual matters from anybody else.
106. I'm happy at the minute.
107. If school where to tell you more about these matters
108. If the school had a sort of 'facts of life' program / website you could access via internet. This would make it less awkward and I could find more info.
109. I'm fine with how I found out.
110. I'm happy how I found out about sexual matters!
111. In a group of people around my age.
112. In a no biased way, the school system seems to see sex outside marriage as a horrible thing that shall give you horrid diseases and that the media show sex the wrong way, which is ironic as this is what schools do. I know everything, I think just a causal, down to earth lessons would do at a decent age, say 14. Primary school sex lessons are wrong as they are to young to understand and process the information and it is the individuals choice if they want to have sex, don't hammer the idea of only having it after marriage, make sure they know the facts, then they can decide, don't try to take their free will.
113. In books
114. In school In school (videos, 1 on 1 advice, demonstration).
115. In school, with talks internet
116. Internet
117. Leaflets
118. Leaflets etc
119. Leaflets to be provided to you by post once you reach a certain age
120. Leaflets, Internet and TV
121. Learning about it in school
122. Less embarrassing by using the internet.
123. Lessons at school
124. Lesson at school, it would be funny but if [you're] paying attention you would learn something.
125. Lessons at school
126. Lessons at school doctor, nurse or clinic
127. Lessons at school.
128. Lessons at school/college
129. Lessons in school
130. Lessons in school more
131. Lessons in school. Sex education needs to be improved dramatically in this country
132. Maybe some lessons from school
133. More at school.
134. More conference meeting with different schools
135. More detail more the consequences
136. More info at school
137. More information from school and parents, as they have past experience
138. More information given in school.
139. More lessons at school
140. More lessons at school specific to sex and not just sexual health and the cons of sex.
141. More lessons of it at school
142. More mature lessons from the start of secondary School.
143. Mother
144. Mother or father but I don't like talking to mother about things like that
145. My Dad.
146. My friends weren't very accurate
147. My mates
148. My mother
149. My mum or dad telling me about it no matter how awkward
150. My school delivers sufficient useful knowledge on sexual matters through both lesson e.g biology and through organised 'Talks' from people/organisations outside of school.
151. N/A
152. N/a information and advice from parents i have found to be the best and most helpful
153. No
154. No
155. No I feel I have had just enough information given to me
156. No idea
157. No other way
158. No other way it's easier talking to friends about such matters.
159. No other way.
160. No preferences
161. No problems
162. No sex education at school please. The teachers would enjoy it too much.
163. Nowhere else
164. No, other way
165. No.
166. None
167. Nope
168. Not really
169. Not Sure
170. Note sure Nurse
171. Online
172. Online/Reading
173. Our school don't teach sex education classes to any year group.
174. Outside organisations coming into school
175. Parents
176. Parents
177. Perhaps my parents, but I'm happy enough.
178. Post and private
179. Preferred getting the information from sources I could trust, my parents.
180. Probably my friends first internet second and if not sure ask my mother
181. Probably parents
182. School
183. School
184. School + Youth Groups or friends/girlfriend
185. School doctor school nurse Teachers.
186. School is the best place to learn it
187. School lessons were fine-everybody is mature about this when in a large group.
188. School lessons
189. School lessons / text books
190. School Lessons.
191. School or family is good, internet + media = bad and flawed
192. School or Internet
193. School or Tech? Thank you
194. School seems the best way (no individuals are really targeted) TU is also good for this religion.
195. School, I believe it should be made compulsory that's schools teach + warn of the dangers + positives of sexual intercourse/contact.
196. School!
197. School.
198. Serious talks/lessons as school
199. [Simply] by talking with others.
200. Slayer ?
201. Someone coming and give a talk/presentation
202. Somewhere anonymously
203. Sources of information were fine for me
204. Talking to my dad.
205. Talking to someone
206. Talks at school.
207. Talks in school & parents.
208. Telepathy/Carrier pigeon
209. Television
210. Television, as its a lot harder talking to someone you know about it.
211. The best way to get information about Sexual Acts, are notably from pornographic stuff (saying this as an psychologist), and clearly I prefer this method. But in reference to Sexual Biology, School & Internet
212. The current lessons we have in school help but I find parents the best source of information.
213. The same way
214. The television is a main fundamental of everyday life, thus that would have been helpful as I'm glued to it everyday, however, this information is greatly improving through TV e.g. sex education show.
215. The way I got information was good, in lessons and talks as a class/year group in school.
216. The way I got it was fine; fewer awkward/embarrassing moments.
217. There's lots of information out there if you need it for me I got enough from my mum as we talk about everything
218. Through classes
219. Through experts of experience in sexual health.
220. Through lessons in school, we only had sexual education in 1st year was benifical but more information at the age of 16 would be better.
221. Through My Parents
222. Through School
223. Through school because you are with group of friends and it wouldn't have been awkward or embarrassing Through school lessons
224. Through school lessons at an earlier age.
225. Through School.
226. Through someone I knew so it wasn't glamorised as much as the media
227. Through the internet
228. Through TV programmes as you get information from a lot of different views and so you get more insite.
229. To be honest I am not sure
230. TV as it is explained better and you don't feel embarrassed
231. TV programmes about sexual stuff
232. Unsure
233. Via books.
234. Was fine way it was.
235. Well I got a lot of information from school. But I feel that it could even be given earlier than it is.
236. Well I preferred to find out on my own, because awkward situations are created when official lines are taken such as mother or father telling the children much like I've experienced, but I find that if done correctly a teacher can create an atmosphere to m
237. Would rather have it be a more open topic
238. Wouldn't
239. Yes more as a class/group in schools. This way people will maybe feel more inclined to ask questions etc as friends/class mates are too.
240. Youth club, doing sexual courses