Mahidol University has launched the "Compulsory Sexuality Education (CSE) for Deaf" mobile app for people with hearing impairments.
The target market is youths aged 10 years old and above. The content is created by Asst Prof Kanokwan Tharawan, lecturer at the Institute for Population and Social Research, Mahidol University. With a PhD in Medical Anthropology from the University of California, she has taught sexuality education for more than 20 years.
"There is a lot of information on sexuality that anyone can access on the internet or in a classroom but they cannot be truly understood by students who are deaf," she told the Bangkok Post.
Deaf youths who do not attend school do not know sign language. They do not know where and how to acquire sex education to protect themselves from unwanted advances and pregnancy, diseases and violence, she said.
"I wanted to create a tool that can be easily accessed by deaf youths so that they can have the knowledge to protect themselves," she said.
What inspired you to build the software?
It started about five years ago when I gave a lecture on sex education, which included sexual well-being and safe sex, to a class of students at Ratchasuda College (for disabled adults, located in Mahidol University). The class was also attended by deaf students. I prepared my content for three hours but I was able to offer only 30 minutes of it.
It was because the deaf students had questions, which indicated that although they knew the basics of safe sex, they did not truly understand. One student I spoke with told me that she had friends who did not know how to read so they did not know how to buy a condom and when to use it or encourage her boyfriend to use it.
In addition, when I had a chance to teach other deaf students, I learnt that they also had problems like sexual assault, unplanned pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases. I felt moved when I heard that. I wanted to have a solution for them to get the right sex education so that they can stay safe.
Asst Prof Dr Kanokwan Tharawan develops the Compulsory Sexuality Education for Deaf app for youths aged 10 years old an above.
What kinds of content do you provide on the app?
The app has five main topics. The first is sexual orientation. The app tells them that it is okay for a man to love a man, a woman to love a woman and a man to love a woman.
The second part is about safe sex teaching about condoms, birth control pills, and where to find them. The third part is about unplanned pregnancies. The fourth part is about sexually transmitted infections. The fifth part is about violence against women.
Why does the app only rely on graphics and pictures?
My intention is to educate deaf youths on sex education without using texts or sign language so that those who do not attend school can understand. The app also has an evaluation form. I received good feedback about how they gained more knowledge. About 80% of users said the app was very good and helped them understand more about sexuality.
What challenges did you face while developing the app?
My aim was to give all the needed knowledge, but I can deliver only 20% of what I had planned. One of the reasons was I needed to cut the parts that needed an explanation using sign language or texts.
Another obstacle is the Apple Store. Before the app was available for free download for smartphone users, I submitted the app for review. The Apple Store did not allow the use of pictures or graphics depicting sexuality. I emailed them for half a year as I tried to explain that my education app was meant for deaf youths but the Apple Store kept banning it. As a result, I had to remove a lot of content.
When I saw the final version of the app, I was shocked because it looked like an app for kindergarten children. I was also sad that my deaf students could not have the complete sexual education they should, like other students. The app is now available for free download via both the Apple Store and Google Play store. Luckily, I did not have any trouble with the Google Play store. It may be because the Google Play store understands that the app is for education.
What do you plan to do with the app in the future?
I will continue developing its content. I spent about one and a half years on this project with funding from the Canadian government. The first version is like a pilot. It captures the core lessons of sexuality education. Next year, I will organise workshops to ask deaf youths, including those who can not read sign language, about what else they want to know.
This is an ongoing project. I will look for a 1-2 million-baht funding to maintain the app and organise workshops to improve its content.
In the future, I hope that a policymaker, like Education Ministry, Public Health Ministry or the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security, will support the app so it will be available for deaf youths to learn about sexuality. My goal is to educate 24,000 deaf youths nationwide. I will be happy to contribute more content as this is my expertise.