Erika Cruz

7/13/16
Intro to human sexuality
OPTION A: MAN ON THE STREET INTERVIEW (CONTRACEPTION RESEARCH)
Find out what the general population knows about contraception (use friends, family, fellow
students, co-workers). Formulate your own questions (a minimum of three questions) and
conduct your own research. Suggestions may include: abstinence, the Utah Law, sharing
responsibility, available methods, hormone-based methods, barrier methods, intrauterine
devices, sterilization. Submit a typed summary of your findings.
Questions:
1. What sources did you learn things about Sex Ed?
2. If you got Sex Ed what kinds of things did you learn? ex:anatomy, pleasure, abuse, STDs,
pregnancy.
3. Whos responsibility is it to bring up and introduce contraception with a sexual partner?
4. What can you tell me about sterilization?
5. Were you able to go to you parents or trusted adult for questions about sex?
In my research, I decided to ask 5 people to answer my questions on contraception. Initially
people were very interested to answer these questions and yet when asked, they actually knew
few things about it, indicating a lack of knowledge in their sexual educations. I asked a mixture
of family members, co workers, and friends. The answers varied and were interesting to hear.
My ending result is a lack of sexual education from school, parents, or close respectful adult.
Person one which we will call Patrick was not very open about his sexuality. This was the reason
that I chose to ask him. He mentioned that he learned everything about sex initially through a
middle school assembly. There was no talk per say with a parent or close adult relative. He
later found out about other things through television and the internet. The things he found out
about from the schools program in which he attended were pregnancy, contraception, puberty,
anatomy, STDs. I proceeded to ask him about the responsibility of birth control and
contraception, and he was saying he would take it more upon himself to bring up this subject. In
turns his opinion is that it is more for the guys to bring up a form of birth control and
contraception. He simply stated You get them, so you dont have children. For people who
never wish to conceive. A last resort to birth controls. as a result of my question about
sterilization. It seemed that there was no knowledge of his knowing of the procedure done on
men of women, as well as the different types. The answer to the last question had to do with
going to a trusted adult or parent for questions about sex. There was a lot of emphasis on the
fact he had the option to go to someone but he was too embarrassed and had the internet to
answer to his questions freely without judgement or consequences
Many of the others had very similar answers to the questions. The only person who had
a very different range of answers what the fourth person that I asked named Jennifer. She said
she grew up in a family who would not let her participate in Sexual education classes while she

Erika Cruz
7/13/16
Intro to human sexuality
was in school. As a result she was curious and used experimentation with friends. Her parents
encouraged her to marry before having sex. While she was discourages to have anything to do
with sex, her older brothers were praised for their sexual relations. As a result of this double
standard, she said she felt as if things were unfair and her questions and curiosities had given
her intense feelings which were not satisfied by her parents unwillingness to educate her.
(Crooks 351)She was never able to go to a parent for questions about sex. With learning about
this, she had no real education on sterilization. I had to explain it to her. She explained to me the
reason behind her pregnancy was because of her lack of knowledge and feeling like she had to
figure things out on her own.
One of the questions I asked stuck out because it seemed that everyone I had questions had a
different answer for this. The question was about the responsibility to bring up contraception and
birth control. Half of the group responded with the male (all male answers), and the other half
female(mostly female). I viewed it as most of the people asked took it upon themselves on this
issue. The one person who answered the question saying the opposite sex must be the one
whos responsibility it was, was saying this as a male. The man said he couldnt always trust
that the female was taking the pill and women should know that a man doesnt enjoy the sex
as much while using the common form of contraception, condom. (283)
What I came up with was that most people had at least a couple resources, and if they didnt the
consequences were higher.(283) In my opinion, people need to know about contraception, as
well as options. The only way this is possible is through talking about it. Curiosities and
questions start in the comfort of ones home. I believe that the more knowledge one has about
contraception, the better outcome a person had because they smarter and have better
judgement. Embarrassment and all out avoidance leaves a child only to Sex ed in school or no
education at all. The perfect example of this going wrong is the unwanted pregnancy of Jennifer.
She was only 16 when she had a baby and was forced by her parents to give it up for adoption.
Now that she is older and had received more education, she claims she feels more responsible
and more ready to be in control of her sexuality and life in general. (370)

Erika Cruz
7/13/16
Intro to human sexuality

Works Cited
Crooks, Robert and Karla Baur. Our Sexuality: Edition 12. Wadsworth:Cengage, 2014. Print.