[Sex education in practice and science in Germany].
Sex education in Germany has a history full of conflict and ideological change between emancipatory, reforming, and repressive tendencies. As a science, sex education has only recently gained independence from its mother disciplines theology, medicine, psychology, and sociology and at the same time has taken a critically constructive position towards sexual science. Its topics range from dissemination of knowledge about biological processes and contraception to relationship concerns, sexual orientation, gender issues, sexual transgression, moral, and ethical questions. Sexual socialization happens nearly everywhere. Sexual education takes place mainly in families, elementary education, and school, but increasingly also in all other areas of education, social work, and health service. Its clientèle are no longer exclusively children and adolescents but increasingly adults of every age group. Subjects such as AIDS, sexual abuse, and teenage pregnancy have contributed to governmental funding of projects and training in sex education. Thus, sex education still reaches from mere protection from dangers to fostering or maintaining psychological health.
Sielert
Uwe
U
Universität Kiel, Institut für Pädagogik, Kiel, BRD. sielert@paedagogik.uni-kiel.de
D005858:Germany; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D012736:Sex Education / Q000379:methods / Q000458:organization & administration*; D044347:Sexology / Q000379:methods / Q000458:organization & administration*