I woke up this morning thinking about my thesis, and began to take notes furiously before I started my day.
I am nervous about how I will pool an audience to draw information from. I began to consider how I would poll teen boys.
First, I believe it is absolutely necessary to tell teens exactly what I'm doing and why - have trust & transparency.
I want to get this research done in the next 7-10 days! Yikes.
Where to approach teens?
-org's, i.e. Girls Inc. CO Youth Matter, Aurora Teen Pregnancy Project
-McDonalds (I know Travis was kidding, but it's actually not a bad idea)
-on campus
-on the street
-skate park
-sex ed program at a school
-set up survey website / put on craigslist?
The really tricky thing is that these are quite intimate questions, and I'm not sure what is the best platform to get good answers. Accosting kids on the street is sort of sudden and intrusive; if I conducted an online survey, I'd want to make absolutely sure it is truly teen guys who are answering (not girls, and not random other people).
Maybe I can pass out the survey with a website code, and there is an incentive to completing the survey? Uggh… I can't afford to spend money on incentives… (maybe they get free condoms?! a code for mail-order Trojans :-)
Then I asked - is there any forum online where GUYS (teens) talk about sex? I feel like there are tons of sites for girls.
A short, simple survey on paper - anonymous - seems like a decent idea. I explored some potential questions I could ask, to get a read on what teen guys think about sex, birth control, and their personal responsibilities.
Here are some of the questions I came up with - VERY rough, just ideas.
================================
An anonymous questionnaire for teen boys.
Have you ever bought condoms?
Have you NOT bought condoms because you:
a) are embarrassed
b) don't have money for it
c) don't know where to get them
d) don't believe they're important
e) other ________________________
Do you think birth control is the responsibility of
a) girl
b) guy
c) both
d) neither
Who do you think is usually the one who does take responsibility for birth control?
a) girl
b) guy
If you decide not to use a condom, is it because you:
a) were unprepared (did not have one)
b) got caught up in the moment
c) don't know how to use it
d) don't think it's important
e) it is insulting to you or your partner
f) it causes suspicion between you and your partner
g) other ________________________
Do you ever worry about getting your partner pregnant?
a) no, never
b) sometimes, but chances are slim
c) a little, I should probably take more precaution
b) yes, definitely
If you answered "no" to the above, why are you not concerned?
______________________________________________
Have you ever considered how your life would change if you became a teen father?
a) yes
b) no
When you hear of other teen parents, do you think: (check all that apply)
a) that won't happen to me
b) they must have wanted it
c) they didn't take precautions
d) other ________________________
Did you know that 3/10 girls become pregnant before they turn 20?
Does this change how you feel about the importance of birth control?
a) yes
b) no
Do you think it's important to use a condom during sex because
a) it's a proven way to prevent pregnancy
b) it's a proven way to prevent STI's
c) you've been told it's important
d) not really sure why it's important
I choose NOT to wear a condom because:
a) takes away from the pleasure
b) don't like how it feels/looks
c) makes me feel like less of a man
d) it's awkward to put on
e) it kills the moment
Do you get most information about sex from
a) girl friends
b) guy friends
c) the Internet
d) school educators
e) non-school programs/educators
f) parents
g) siblings
h) TV & movies
i) other ________________________
If your partner became pregnant, would you
a) commit to fathering it, regardless of school/future plans
b) explore options besides parenting
c) leave it to the mother, it's her problem
d) no idea, I can't imagine that happening
e) that wouldn't happen to me
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