Can Sexuality Education Advance Gender Equality and Strengthen Education Overall? Learning from Nigeria's Family Life and HIV Education Program

The imperative to prepare the largest generation of young people in history for adulthood has driven a search for fresh approaches to educating adolescents about their bodies and sexuality. Recently, there have been calls among health experts and educators for a comprehensive, integrated approach to sexuality education that addresses not only health issues such as HIV and pregnancy, but also helps to achieve broader outcomes such as ensuring gender equality, increasing access to education for girls, and improving the quality of education overall. Considerable international attention has been paid to the Family Life and HIV Education (FLHE) program in Nigeria. While the program does not formally aim to achieve broader development goals, nongovernmental organizations in some states have effectively brought a strong commitment to gender equality into local FLHE programs.This report synthesizes a two-tiered review of the FLHE program. It draws both on a formal case study examining effects of the training on teacher attitudes and practices and on a wider, more informal program analysis. The findings from both resonate with each other and are synthesized in this report

Sexuality and HIV education: Time for a paradigm shift

For decades, curriculum-based sexuality education has been a cornerstone of school- and community-based efforts to improve young people’s sexual and reproductive health, and more recently to prevent HIV infection. Unfortunately, public discourse about sex education has been mired in polarizing debates that distract attention from determining how sex and HIV education programs might best achieve the shared goals of many different constituencies. A recent comprehensive review of the impact of school-based sexuality and HIV education programs in developed and developing countries found that two-thirds of the programs reduced the risk associated with one or more reported sexual behaviors. This finding has led experts to recommend broad implementation of adult-led, school-based sex and HIV education that includes key characteristics common to effective programs. Yet, the ongoing HIV epidemic—increasingly affecting females and young people, especially in developing countries—and the human costs of unwanted pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections underscore the urgent need to optimize sex and HIV education programs. Population Council analyses point to several key areas in need of rethinking, which are reviewed in this Promoting Healthy, Safe, and Productive Transitions to Adulthood Brief No. 22

It\u27s All One Curriculum: Guidelines for a Unified Approach to Sexuality, Gender, HIV, and Human Rights Education

Education on sexuality and HIV can help adolescents develop the capacity for healthy, respectful relationships and protect themselves from unwanted and unsafe sex, unintended pregnancy, and sexually transmitted infections. A 2015 Population Council study found that sexuality and HIV education programs that address gender and power in intimate relationships are five times more likely to be effective than programs that do not. However, most curricula still do not address these issues. “It’s All One Curriculum” provides a rationale, content, and sample activities for placing gender and rights at the center of sexuality and HIV curricula—both as stand-alone modules and integrated with topics such as relationships, puberty, and condom use. “It\u27s All One Curriculum: Guidelines” (Volume 1) presents sensitive information appropriately in a wide range of such contexts in Africa, the Americas, the Arab world, Asia, Europe, and the Pacific. This book is designed primarily for curriculum developers, schoolteachers, and community educators responsible for education in the areas of sexuality/sexual health (including AIDS) and civics or social studies

It\u27s All One Curriculum: Activities for a Unified Approach to Sexuality, Gender, HIV, and Human Rights Education

Education on sexuality and HIV can help adolescents develop the capacity for healthy, respectful relationships and protect themselves from unwanted and unsafe sex, unintended pregnancy, and sexually transmitted infections. A 2015 Population Council study found that sexuality and HIV education programs that address gender and power in intimate relationships are five times more likely to be effective than programs that do not. However, most curricula still do not address these issues. It’s All One Curriculum provides a rationale, content, and sample activities for placing gender and rights at the center of sexuality and HIV curricula—both as stand-alone modules and integrated with topics such as relationships, puberty, and condom use. “It’s All One curriculum: Activities” (Volume 2) presents sensitive information appropriately in a wide range of such contexts in Africa, the Americas, the Arab world, Asia, Europe, and the Pacific. This book is designed primarily for curriculum developers, schoolteachers, and community educators responsible for education in the areas of sexuality/sexual health (including AIDS) and civics or social studies

It\u27s All One Curriculum: Activities for a Unified Approach to Sexuality, Gender, HIV, and Human Rights Education [Arabic]

Education on sexuality and HIV can help adolescents develop the capacity for healthy, respectful relationships and protect themselves from unwanted and unsafe sex, unintended pregnancy, and sexually transmitted infections. A 2015 Population Council study found that sexuality and HIV education programs that address gender and power in intimate relationships are five times more likely to be effective than programs that do not. However, most curricula still do not address these issues. It’s All One Curriculum provides a rationale, content, and sample activities for placing gender and rights at the center of sexuality and HIV curricula—both as stand-alone modules and integrated with topics such as relationships, puberty, and condom use. “It’s All One curriculum: Activities” (Volume 2) presents sensitive information appropriately in a wide range of such contexts in Africa, the Americas, the Arab world, Asia, Europe, and the Pacific. This book is designed primarily for curriculum developers, schoolteachers, and community educators responsible for education in the areas of sexuality/sexual health (including AIDS) and civics or social studies

It\u27s All One Curriculum: Guidelines for a Unified Approach to Sexuality, Gender, HIV, and Human Rights Education [Arabic]

Education on sexuality and HIV can help adolescents develop the capacity for healthy, respectful relationships and protect themselves from unwanted and unsafe sex, unintended pregnancy, and sexually transmitted infections. A 2015 Population Council study found that sexuality and HIV education programs that address gender and power in intimate relationships are five times more likely to be effective than programs that do not. However, most curricula still do not address these issues. “It’s All One Curriculum” provides a rationale, content, and sample activities for placing gender and rights at the center of sexuality and HIV curricula—both as stand-alone modules and integrated with topics such as relationships, puberty, and condom use. “It\u27s All One Curriculum: Guidelines” (Volume 1) presents sensitive information appropriately in a wide range of such contexts in Africa, the Americas, the Arab world, Asia, Europe, and the Pacific. This book is designed primarily for curriculum developers, schoolteachers, and community educators responsible for education in the areas of sexuality/sexual health (including AIDS) and civics or social studies

Why Iranian married women use withdrawal instead of oral contraceptives? A qualitative study from Iran

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Withdrawal as a method of birth control is still used in Iran. The aim of this study was to explore married women's perspectives and attitudes on withdrawal use instead of oral contraceptive (OC) in Tehran, Iran.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>This was a qualitative study. Participants were 50 married women, not currently pregnant, not desiring pregnancy and who had been using withdrawal for contraception. Face-to face interviews were conducted to collect data. Content analysis was performed to analyze the data.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Four major themes were extracted from the interviews: advantages, disadvantages, barriers for OC use, and husband-related factors. Advantages of withdrawal use were identified as: easy to use, convenient, ease of access, natural. Even those participants who had experienced unwanted pregnancy while using withdrawal, relied on withdrawal as their contraceptive method. Disadvantages of OC included concerns about side effects. Barriers related to use of OC included the need for medical advice, vaginal examination and daily use. Husband-related factors included: the husband wanted to be the primary decision maker on the number of children and that he preferred withdrawal.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Health providers should address misunderstandings that exist about OC and highlight the non-contraceptive health benefits of OC to balance the information provided for women. We suggest that not only women but also their spouses be advised in family planning programs.</p

Sexuality and relationships education: Toward a social studies approach

Globally, gender norms and power differentials profoundly affect both girls\u27 and boys\u27 sexual attitudes, practices and health. One avenue for enabling young people to reflect on traditional gender arrangements that endanger their health-and to lay the groundwork for satisfying sexual lives-is sexuality and relationships education (SRE). Unfortunately, many SRE programmes address gender norms and critical thinking skills either superficially or not at all. Moreover, in some developing countries, SRE programmes do not reach the majority of girls aged 15-19, a high proportion of whom are simply not in school. This paper argues for grounding SRE within a social studies framework, emphasizing gender and social context. Such an approach can foster critical thinking skills, can provide a foundation for subsequent lessons on explicitly sexual topics, can illuminate the links between gender inequality and other social issues, can allow for a human-rights emphasis that may prove politically less controversial than technical sexuality topics, and may ultimately prove vital to achieving better sexual health outcomes. The experience of community-based programmes provides lessons for designing and evaluating such approaches in schools

Éducation sexuelle et VIH : il est temps de changer de méthodologie

Pendant des décennies, l’éducation sexuelle basée sur un curriculum a été la pierre angulaire des efforts en fournis par les écoles et les communautés pour améliorer la santé sexuelle et génésique des jeunes, et plus récemment pour prévenir le VIH. Malheureusement, le discours public sur l\u27éducation sexuelle s’est égaré dans des débats polarisés qui ont détourné l\u27attention de la manière dont les programmes d\u27éducation sexuelle et VIH peuvent atteindre le mieux possible les objectifs partagés par différentes circonscriptions. Une étude exhaustive récente de l\u27impact des programmes d\u27éducation sexuelle et VIH dispensés par les écoles dans les pays développés et en développement ont montré que deux tiers des programmes réduisaient les risques associés à un ou plusieurs comportements sexuels. Ces résultats sont encourageants et ont entraîné un élargissement des programmes d’éducation sexuelle et VIH en milieu scolaire, dirigés par des adultes incluant les caractéristiques clés des programmes qui se sont montrés efficaces. Malgré tout, l’épidémie endémique de VIH, affectant de plus en plus les femmes et les jeunes, en particulier dans les pays en développement, et les coûts humains des grossesses non désirées et des infections sexuellement transmissibles soulignent le besoin urgent d’optimiser les programmes d’éducation sexuelle et VIH. Les analyses du Population Council désignent plusieurs points clés ayant besoin d’être repensés, qui sont examinés dans le présent document Promouvoir des transitions vers l\u27âge adulte: Saines, sûres et productives N° 22. --- For decades, curriculum-based sexuality education has been a cornerstone of school- and community-based efforts to improve young people’s sexual and reproductive health, and more recently to prevent HIV infection. Unfortunately, public discourse about sex education has been mired in polarizing debates that distract attention from determining how sex and HIV education programs might best achieve the shared goals of many different constituencies. A recent comprehensive review of the impact of school-based sexuality and HIV education programs in developed and developing countries found that two-thirds of the programs reduced the risk associated with one or more reported sexual behaviors. This finding has led experts to recommend broad implementation of adult-led, school-based sex and HIV education that includes key characteristics common to effective programs. Yet, the ongoing HIV epidemic—increasingly affecting females and young people, especially in developing countries—and the human costs of unwanted pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections underscore the urgent need to optimize sex and HIV education programs. Population Council analyses point to several key areas in need of rethinking, which are reviewed in this Promoting Healthy, Safe, and Productive Transitions to Adulthood Brief No. 22