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Bunner Thesis Final April 2015.pdf (2.34 MB)

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A Global Snapshot of Sexual Health Education: Insights from International Students at BGSU

Bunner, Kristen Elizabeth
http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0178-2337
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1428940209

Abstract Details

2015, Master of Arts (MA), Bowling Green State University, Cross-Cultural, International Education.
Research shows that many international students are coming into the United States from countries with high prevalence rates of sexually transmitted diseases, minimal sexual health knowledge, and pre-conceived notions surrounding sexual health. What results from this at colleges across the country is an unavoidable intersection of international students and sexuality, with many administrators of such institutions feeling uncertain or unwilling to include sexual health in their education model. Through my unequivocal belief that resources related to sexual health education are a crucial need on every college campus, for every population, I decided to focus specifically on international students. The overall purpose of this case study is three-fold: (a) to explore the differences in backgrounds in sexual health education and practices for a diverse cross-section of international students studying at BGSU, (b) to investigate whether there is a need for colleges to implement sexual health education for international students in the United States, and (c) to speculate what strategies/curricula could be implemented. Through 24 written, qualitative surveys and 13 follow-up interviews, I sought to answer two research questions, with the first being: From international students’ perspectives, how have their social, cultural, familial, and religious backgrounds and practices shaped their home country’s stance on sexual health and, subsequently, their own upbringing? My second research question is: From international students’ perspectives, what is their perception of the influence of American culture, their perception of access to sexual health information and education programs, level of interest in and preferred format of this kind of education? In an effort to answer these questions, I investigate five major themes in my research that serve as the core foundation of this thesis: (a) prior sexual health knowledge and educational accessibility; (b) cultural ideals about virginity, premarital sex, religion; (c) access to and understanding of sexual health information; (d) influence of American culture; and (e) insight into future sexual health education. Through the lens of these themes, overarching findings developed about my target population of international students at BGSU. The findings of my study, with correspondence to the original themes, include the following: (a) varying degrees of prior sexual health education; (b) strong beliefs about virginity, premarital sex, contraception, religion; (c) uncertainty towards accessing sexual health guidance; (d) mixed perceptions about the influence of American culture; and (e) conflicting preferences towards future sexual health education. Though the results of this study are not generalizable, they did achieve to investigate a specific target population, and give a voice to international students at BGSU. This data can and should be analyzed further, expanded on through deeper and different research angles, goals, and data collection methods, and ideally contribute to the development of sexual health education programs for international student populations in the U.S. Through this study, I determined that the sexual health needs of international students represent an inadequately examined field of research and a largely bypassed area of programming. I hope that my research can begin to improve that outlook, especially on the BGSU campus.
Sherri Horner, Ph.D (Advisor)
Christopher Frey, Ph.D (Committee Member)
Mary Krueger, Ph.D (Committee Member)
131 p.
Comparative; Early Childhood Education; Education; Education Policy; Ethics; Families and Family Life; Gender; Health; Health Education; Higher Education; Multicultural Education; Personal Relationships; Teaching; Womens Studies
sexual health; sexual health education; college sexual health; sexuality education; sexually transmitted diseases; birth control; risk behaviors; religious influence; schooling; international students; Bowling Green State University

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Bunner, K. E. (2015). A Global Snapshot of Sexual Health Education: Insights from International Students at BGSU [Master's thesis, Bowling Green State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1428940209

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Bunner, Kristen. A Global Snapshot of Sexual Health Education: Insights from International Students at BGSU. 2015. Bowling Green State University, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1428940209.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Bunner, Kristen. "A Global Snapshot of Sexual Health Education: Insights from International Students at BGSU." Master's thesis, Bowling Green State University, 2015. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1428940209

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

bgsu1428940209
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© 2015, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by Bowling Green State University and OhioLINK.