Transcript Comprehensive Sexuality Education

Comprehensive
Sexuality Education
Meghan Benson, MPH, CHES
Dane County Education Programs Manager
September 23, 2009
Overview
What is sexuality?
 What is comprehensive sexuality
education?
 What are the characteristics of
comprehensive sexuality education
programs?
 Why are comprehensive sexuality
education programs important?
 Which programs work?

Sex vs. Sexuality

Sex – Physical acts of sexual intimacy

Sexuality – A significant aspect of a
person’s life, from birth to death,
consisting of many interrelated factors,
including anatomy, growth and
development, gender, relationships,
behaviors, attitudes, values, self-esteem,
sexual health, reproduction, and more
Sexuality Education

A lifelong process of acquiring
information and forming attitudes,
beliefs, and values about sexuality
Age-appropriate
 Fact-based and medically accurate
 Culturally competent
 From many sources, including parents,
family, peers, school, and community

Sexuality Education for Youth

Parents, guardians, and other
caregivers of youth are – and should
be – the primary sexuality educators
for their children

However, these adults often need
support and encouragement from
others
Definition of Comprehensive
Sexuality Education Programs

K-12 programs that include ageappropriate, medically-accurate
information on a broad set of topics
related to sexuality including human
development, relationships, decisionmaking, abstinence, contraception,
and disease prevention.
- Sexuality Information and Education Council
of the United States (SIECUS)
Comprehensive Sexuality
Education Key Concept Areas
 Human
Development
 Relationships
 Personal Skills
 Sexual Behavior
 Sexual Health
 Society and Culture
Age-Appropriate

Based on typical cognitive,
emotional, behavioral, physical, and
sexual development for a particular
age group
It is important to enhance a child's growth in
all developmental areas, including laying
the foundations for a child's sexual growth
 Adults have a responsibility to help children
understand and accept their evolving
sexuality

Examples of Age-Appropriate
Sexuality Education – Ages 5-8
Each body part has a correct name
and specific function
(Human Development)
 There are different kinds of families
(Relationships)
 Children need help from adults to
make some decisions (Personal Skills)

Examples of Age-Appropriate
Sexuality Education – Ages 5-8
Most children are curious about their
bodies (Sexual Behavior)
 No one should touch the private parts
of a child’s body except for health
reasons or to clean them
(Sexual Health)
 Girls and boys have many similarities
and a few differences
(Society and Culture)

Examples of Age-Appropriate
Sexuality Education – Ages 9-12

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During puberty, internal and external
sexual and reproductive organs mature in
preparation for adulthood
(Human Development)
Many skills are needed to begin, continue,
and end friendships (Relationships)
To make good decisions, one must
consider all of the possible consequences
and choose the actions that one believes
will have the best outcomes
(Personal Skills)
Examples of Age-Appropriate
Sexuality Education – Ages 9-12



Children are not physically or emotionally
ready for sexual intercourse or other
sexual behaviors (Sexual Behavior)
Pregnancy can happen anytime a
girl/woman has unprotected vaginal
intercourse with a boy/man
(Sexual Health)
People often expect girls and boys to
behave stereotypically
(Society and Culture)
Examples of Age-Appropriate
Sexuality Education – Ages 12-15

The media portrays beauty as a narrow and
limited idea but beautiful people come in all
shapes, sizes, colors, and abilities
(Human Development)
 Customs and values about dating differ
among families and cultures (Relationships)
 The best decision is usually one that is
consistent with one’s own values and does
not involve risking one’s own or others’
health and safety (Personal Skills)
Examples of Age-Appropriate
Sexuality Education – Ages 12-15

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
Sexual abstinence is the best method to
prevent pregnancy & STIs
(Sexual Behavior)
Young people who are considering sexual
intercourse should talk to a parent or other
trusted adult about their decision and
about preventing pregnancy & STIs
(Sexual Health)
State laws govern the age of consent for
sexual behaviors (Society and Culture)
Examples of Age-Appropriate
Sexuality Education – Ages 15-18
Reproductive functioning is different
than sexual functioning
(Human Development)
 Dating relationships can be enhanced
by honesty and openness
(Relationships)
 Partners may need to assertively
communicate their needs and limits
(Personal Skills)

Examples of Age-Appropriate
Sexuality Education – Ages 15-18

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Sexual intercourse is not a way to achieve
adulthood (Sexual Behavior)
Individuals can help fight STIs by serving
as an accurate source of information, by
being a responsible role model, and by
encouraging others to protect themselves
(Sexual Health)
Gender role stereotypes can be harmful to
both women and men (Society and Culture)
Resources for Age-Appropriate
Sexuality Information

Guidelines for Sexuality Education K-12
http://www.siecus.org/_data/global/images/guideline
s.pdf

Advocates for Youth
http://www.advocatesforyouth.org/index.php?option=
com_content&task=view&id=111&Itemid=206

There’s No Place Like Home for Sex
Education
http://www.noplacelikehome.org/
Medically Accurate
 Supported
by the weight of
research conducted in compliance
with accepted scientific methods
 Published
in peer-reviewed journals
 Recognized by leading professional
organizations and agencies with
relevant experience
Culturally Competent

Culturally competent implies having
the capacity to function effectively
within the context of the cultural
beliefs, behaviors, and needs
presented by individuals and their
communities
- US Department of Health and Human
Services, Office of Minority Health
Why is comprehensive sexuality
education important?

Risky sexual behavior among teens leads to
negative health outcomes

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Teen pregnancy rates are on the rise
1 in 4 teens has a sexually transmitted infection
Teens experience high rates of dating
violence and sexual assault
 US teens’ sexual health outcomes are far
worse than their peers in other countries
 Significant racial and ethnic disparities in
teen sexual health outcomes
From the CDC – July 19, 20091

“…the sexual and reproductive health of
America’s young persons remains an
important public health concern: a substantial
number of youth are affected, disparities exist,
and earlier progress appears to be slowing
and perhaps reversing. These patterns exist
for a range of health outcomes (i.e., sexual
risk behavior, pregnancy and births, STDs,
HIV/AIDS, and sexual violence), highlighting
the magnitude of the threat to young persons’
sexual and reproductive health.”
Does comprehensive sexuality
education work2?

Comprehensive sexuality education
programs have been associated with
positive behavior change among youth
Postponement or delay of sexual initiation
 Reduction in frequency of sexual intercourse
 Reduction in the number of sexual partner/
increase in monogamy
 Increase in the use of effective methods of
contraception, including condoms

Does comprehensive sexuality
education work2?

Comprehensive sexuality education
programs have been associated with
positive health outcomes among
youth
Reduced rates of teen pregnancy
 Reduced rates of STIs
 Reduced rates of HIV

Which comprehensive sexuality
education programs work2?

Advocates for Youth reviewed program
evaluations demonstrating strong evidence
of program effectiveness

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Methods and data published in peer-reviewed journals
Experimental or quasi-experimental evaluation design with
intervention and control (comparison) groups
Included at least 100 young people in each group
Continued to collect data from both groups for at least 3
months after intervention
Led to 2 positive behavior changes OR reduced rates of
pregnancy, STIs or HIV in intervention youth
Which comprehensive sexuality
education programs work2?

26 programs strongly affected behaviors
and/or sexual health outcomes among
youth exposed to the program
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11 school-based
10 community-based
5 clinic-based
Programs were evaluated in different
settings and among different populations –
choose the program that works best for
your group!
Which comprehensive sexuality
education programs work2?

Choose a program based on setting
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Urban (24)
Suburban (9)
Rural (6)
Choose a program based on age
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Elementary school (18)
Middle school (13)
High school (20)
Young adults (9)
Which comprehensive sexuality
education programs work2?

Choose a program based on race/ethnicity

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African American (21)
Asian (9)
Latino (15)
Native American (1)
White (8)
Choose a program based on gender

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Both (18)
Females only (7)
Males only (1)
Who supports comprehensive
sexuality education3?

Parents

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Community members

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6 in 10 voters are more likely to vote for a candidate
who supports comprehensive sexuality education
Faith-based institutions
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More than 90% of parents of adolescents
8 religious denominations and the National Council of
Churches of Christ
Professionals and professional organizations
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AMA, APHA, AAP, SAM, APA, IOM
NEA, ASHA
QUESTIONS
References
1CDC.
(2009). Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (Vol. 58, No. SS6) – Sexual and Reproductive Health of Persons Aged 10-24 Years –
United States, 2002-2007.
2Advocates
for Youth. (2008). Science and Success, Second Edition:
Sex Education and Other Programs that Work to Prevent Teen
Pregnancy, HIV & Sexually Transmitted Infections. Accessed at
http://www.advocatesforyouth.org/storage/advfy/documents/sciencesu
ccess.pdf on August 18, 2009.
3SIECUS.
(2007). In Good Company: Who Supports Comprehensive
Sexuality Education? Accessed at
http://www.siecus.org/_data/global/images/In%20Good%20CompanySIECUS-%2010.07.pdf on August 18, 2009.